They Are Good at Many Things
by lollipop-mania
Summary: So, dating wasn't exactly their thing, but that didn't mean they weren't good, well, GREAT at other things. A series of one-shots describing moments in Shikamaru and Temari's relationship. Rated M.
1. They Are Good At Many Things

A/N: Initially this was going to be a one-shot, my first one, but after a I got good feedback (completely unexpected, my first fic in anime) I decided to continue. Now, it is just a bunch of snapshots of their relationship, out of chronological order. They are sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but hopefully always enjoyed.

Read, enjoy, and don't forget to **review!**

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Chapter I: They Are Good At Many Things- Ages, 15 and 18, respectively

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So it wasn't exactly a date. That wasn't something they would do. He wouldn't have asked, and she probably wouldn't have accepted. This was only two peers, comrades even, walking together through town. He wasn't going to kiss her, or put his arm over her shoulder. They weren't going to brush hands as they walked, or blush when the other said something sweet.

They were not a couple. That was clear; which is exactly why this moment was so extremely awkward.

Naruto leaned over to look behind him. Sakura turned her head to follow his until they were both staring right at Shikamaru and Temari.

It had been a long time since Shikamaru had seen Naruto. A lot had changed in those few years. And then there was Temari, who Naruto didn't even remember at first.

"So, are you guys on a date?" Naruto asked slyly, putting his hand by his mouth like it was a secret.

What surprised Temari the most was that Shikamaru hardly seemed surprised. Normally, he was able to keep his calm even in the most intense and deadly situations. But when it came to Temari, he wasn't always that controlled. Though he was still impeccably relaxed, he was usually a little more on edge with her.

The last time someone had suspected them of being a couple, Shikamaru had begun to ramble on about women, Temari in particular, and how vulgar it would be to be dating her.

It was rude, and she was pissed. Sure it was kind of the truth- they weren't on a date, but it still stung. Even if their relationship was only platonic, which was far from true, it was rude.

Why wouldn't he want to go out with me? She thought.

But this time Shikamaru didn't flinch or begin to ramble. Instead, he snorted to Naruto and Sakura, "It's not like that." And his face never changed.

This took Temari aback and she immediately became angry, frustrated that he was being so…nonchalant.

But Temari recovered quickly and rolled her eyes at Naruto's surprised expression. "Heh! Cut out the jokes. Why would I be on a date with this guy?"

Naruto only looked at her, mouth open. Behind him, Sakura pulled a loose hair behind her ear and smiled at Temari, giving her an apologetic look.

Temari had a feeling she was often apologizing for her teammate.

"It's almost time for the Chunin Exams" Temari said, not exactly lying. They were together right now for mostly that reason, it was half the reason Temari had come to Konoha in the first place..

The Chunin Exams only reminded Shikamaru of the work needed to be done. That thought didn't make him anxious or wary, but tired.

"I've just been going back and forth between the Sand and the Leaf," Temari said to Naruto, smiling. Shikamaru shrank back as she stepped in front of him, "for meetings concerning the exams." She finished, hands on hips.

Shikamaru looked at her as she talked, straightforward without being rude. A good quality, though this usually went unnoticed due to her bossiness

"And although it's a pain, I've been put in charge of the Exams" he said, looking at Naruto now, "I've just been told to act as a guide for the Sand messenger."

Naruto blinked, "Chunin Exams, huh…? That sure takes me back…" he trailed off, lost in thought. It took Temari back too. She remembered the exams, her first time meeting Shikamaru and fighting in Konoha.

That suddenly seemed like a _long _time ago.

"And just for the record, Kankuro, this person here, and Neji who's one grade above us, are already Jonin." Shikamaru was saying to Naruto.

Temari's attention snapped back into the present. Shikamaru had just complimented her. Albeit indirectly.

He never complimented her.

Well, that wasn't exactly true.

He just hadn't in a long time.

Temari answered Naruto quickly and watched while he proclaimed something about becoming Hokage.

"We should plan the second half before the weekend." Shikamaru said suddenly.

Sakura glanced at him for a second before dragging Naruto along, "We need to plan a strategy for Kakashi-Sensei, Naruto." She said, pulling him behind her. Looking over her shoulder she waved a hand, "Good to see you, Shikamaru-kun, Temari-chan!"

They watched the two old friends walk away, talking to themselves.

"Sakura has become quite attractive lately" Shikamaru commented, scratching his head, "I haven't seen her for a while."

Temari nodded. She wasn't the jealous type. And Shikamaru was simply pointing out a fact. Sakura was incredibly gorgeous. More so than Temari ever would be.

"Can we go to Sarutobi's and discuss the plans for Part II of the Exam?" she asked, turning to face her companion.

His brows creased for a second before he smirked, "fine." Shikamaru turned around and began walking toward his friend's home.

As Naruto walked one way and Shikamaru walked the other, Temari paused, crossed her arms, and looked between the two. Today really wasn't going as planned.

Jogging to catch up with him, Temari fixed her ponytail and looked at Shikamaru, "I think we should take pre-cautions to ensure this non-dating thing."

"Is this because of what Naruto said?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Naruto thinks everyone is a couple. The man has no sense."

"Shikamaru," she said slowly, making him stop in the street and look at her. "Naruto isn't the first one."

"So what? Are you saying we shouldn't be together anymore? Or are you saying we should try this whole dating thing?" He looked genuinely confused. Temari began to walk again, and he kept her pace through the streets.

"I think we should go out less together. And when we do, if we have to that is, you could try walking a little further away from me."

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to come to the Hokage's today, I was fine going alone."

"I can't expect you to get any work done on your own," came her retort.

They kept walking in silence for a few seconds before she spoke again, "and when we go out, maybe try not to ogle my body every time I bend over." She said with small smile in her eyes.

"Me?" Shikamaru said calmly, "I don't ogle, not like you do."

"You leer like an old man, Nara."

He rubbed his neck, stepping closer. "See, this is why we should never date."

"Precisely," she said, a smirk growing on the corners of her lips. She smiled up at him. "Maybe the Exam can wait a few hours." She leaned down to kiss his neck. He tasted sweet, salty, slightly sweaty, and like Shikamaru. It was a taste she often found herself craving when they were apart.

Shikamaru moaned softly as her kisses became more fervent against his collar. "Temari, we have to get this done- the work I mean."

"No… Nara…wanting to get work done? I never thought this day would come."

He just rolled his eyes and pushed her off.

"You're right" she said, straightening her clothes a bit, "I came here for a purpose." She began to walk down the path again, her feet crunching on dirt.

But then Shikamaru sighed, long and hard. She wasn't making this easy on him.

"I change my mind, Mari." He said, "Let's go back to my place."

She turned, smirked, and then walked back beside him. "You want to walk home when you are already that ready?" She said, looking at the protruding bulge in his pants.

Shikamaru pretended to think it over for a second, weighing his options before he mocked an epiphany.

"We could do it right here." He smirked.

"The path is-"

"-empty" he continued for her.

Pulling her close, Shikamaru placed his head on her shoulder and grabbed her hips. After a few seconds he began to undo her robes, slipping the fabric off her shoulder to expose soft, strong skin. He kissed her shoulders, making a slow curve down to her breasts and then to where her fishnet leggings rested on her waist. He began to pull them down slowly, licking his way from her bellybutton to her pelvis and the slowly further down.

Temari fell back to land against a tree and rested, pulling her lover by his hair to look up at her.

"It is broad daylight, in the middle of town. This needs to be a quickie."

He resisted the urge to smile and, standing up, brought his lips to hers.

He placed a hand in between her legs, making sure she was ready.

Must have been left over from this morning. No way was she that horny in a matter of seconds.

But he really didn't care that much.

Shikamaru began to pull down his pants quickly, not getting them halfway to his knees when Temari reached down and grabbed his cock.

He moaned against her.

She pulled them down together onto the dirt where rocks bit into her body, more so with his weight on top of her.

She didn't think they'd had sex this fast –without any foreplay whatsoever- for at least a good year.

"Hurry, don't hold it" she reminded him and he pushed into her.

It was a familiar feeling, having him inside her. And yet, for reasons she couldn't understand, it still was able to feel amazing.

They had been at it for almost a year and a half now, and she still wasn't bored. That was more surprising than anything. She'd always assumed, unless you were in love with the person, you'd get bored of them pretty quickly after you started having sex.

"Harder, faster" she whispered hoarsely, trying to rock her hips on the rocks cutting into her. "Seriously, you have got to come already. We have- "the last two words were lost as he hit a spot.

"I am waiting for you" he said into her ear, grunting as she dug her nails further into his rear.

"Okay" She needed to relax, to breathe.

A second later, she came.

Waves of color clouded her eyes as the strongest euphoria she knew coursed through her.

When her body had finally stopped convulsing, he came, lost in his own feeling. Afterwards, she couldn't help but laugh as he rolled them over.

They must look a sight now, her rope open and fallen around her waist, his pants around his ankles and hair half pulled out, all sweaty and out of breath.

When she had finally calmed down enough to speak, Temari stood up. "We should go finish some work" she said, still panting slightly.

Shikamaru suppressed a grin, "maybe we should go see Asuma-sensei then."

She breathed, thinking it over "okay, we should. Get it over with, you know."

He nodded and watched as Temari straightened herself up and began to walk toward his former mentor's home.

"And he will totally be able to tell I just got laid" Shikamaru mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Temari called back to him.

"Nothing" he said waving a hand.

"I think we should talk over this whole dating thing again" she said as he caught up to her. Shikamaru shrugged and walked along the path listening to her list the pro's and con's of their impending relationship.

He knew he couldn't avoid it forever. She did have some points, on both ends. But when it came down to it, they were already a couple.

He had never touched anyone else, and had honestly never had the interest to. He did tolerate her company, and he did almost go mad every time she went away.

The only problem was, dating wasn't exactly what they were good at.

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	2. Stitches

"Harder" she said, scraping her fingernails down the wood on her bedpost. She bit her lip, not crying out. "Harder, Shika, harder" she shouted this time, toes curled in the bed sheets. She felt a drop of his sweat fall onto her shoulder and run down her back.

She was sweaty, but not dripping with it, which made her feel good. Made her know that he was working hard to satisfy her. But not hard enough, "I said harder!"

"I-am" he said in between breaths, his hands that were on either side of her shoulders moved, one of them going down to balance his weight above her on the bed, the other playing with her hair.

She could feel the hard ridges of his stomach as his lower abs moved by her back. She relished the feeling of the hair around his navel and pelvis brush against her as he moved rhythmically in her. Her head swam; she wasn't getting enough breath in. Never before had she been knocked unconscious during sex, but there were times like this where she was damn close.

She came a few seconds later, making her lip bleed in the process. He finished a moment or so after, and she immediately shoved him off as she ran to the bathroom.

"Whoa" he said, leaning back against the headboard, "that was some crazy shit." And then: "Hey, there is blood on the bed"

"Yeah, well my fucking mouth is bleeding." Came her voice from the hallway, hoarse.

"Badly" he said, rolling his shoulders back and standing. "Did you bite you're tongue off or something?" She ignored him. Shikamaru bent down to the floor and picked up his pants. He had only brought one change of clothes to the Sand, and those got dirty halfway form Konoha to Suna. Fucking in the mud in the middle of the forest wasn't exactly a great plan.

Which shamed Shikamaru, because if nothing else, he was known for his plans.

The bathroom was well lit when he walked in. Temari stood there washing out her mouth. She had bitten her lip badly, there was blood running down the sink.

"I cut it clear through" she said after she spit some more water out of her mouth. She took another sip and rinsed.

"Let's go get you stitched up" he said, leaning against the doorframe. "I can't believe you bit your lip like that. Was I that good?"

"I don't know what your standard is" she repeated the process, "maybe you were that good."

He smiled, "Come on, I'll get word to someone in the building." He went back into her room and grabbed the clothes she had strewn about in their haste. Then he got dressed himself and went back to her. "So I guess I can't kiss you until you're healed."

She gave a small smile and held the napkin he gave her up to her red mouth.

* * *

The hospital was surprisingly vacant. All the people usually came in here during the few hours between midnight and dawn. _Yes, _Shikamaru thought, checking the time, _not even two o'clock and there isn't a patient in sight. _

"Excuse me, Sir" a nurse said, "could you explain that again?"

Shikamaru looked down at Temari, her eyes pleading silently. "We were training" he said, "I guess she was biting her lip in anticipation when I jumped out from behind I must have shaken her up so much that she just bit through it. I don't really know."

"Mm" a noise of agreement came from the blonde sitting on the table, her clothing revealing traces of the obvious training they had done earlier. The story was completely believable. Well, except to Gaara, who came to check on his sister a few minutes later. Apparently he was in the hospital _anyways_.

_Just my luck_, Shikamaru nodded towards his lover's sibling.

Gaara returned the pleasantries; not smiling because that wasn't like him, but seeming genuinely glad to see the Hidden Leaf ninja. They talked briefly, Gaara not believing their story for a second, but he didn't call their bluff, instead he just acted accordingly.

"That was weird" Temari said as they walked back to her apartment. Her words came out funny, but he was able to make sense of them.

"Well Gaara knows we weren't out training, if that is what you are saying."

"I know. He isn't stupid."

Shikamaru didn't say anything, but opened the door and led her in.

"Are you hungry?" She asked.

"I should go back to my hotel," he answered, grabbing the key from where he had left it on the table earlier that day.

"You could spend the night?"

"You're hurt, Temari…plus, I don't think I have another round in me."

"I didn't mean that" she said softly, turning away from him. She walked into the bathroom; he watched her go, confused by her words.

"What do you mean? I am tired, I want to sleep. If you want me to crash here, then sure, whatever. Is that what you're saying?"

He had spent the night with her before. Often, actually. She stayed at his place whenever they were too tired to move, and visa versa. But never had they willingly spent the night together when they were more the capable of avoiding one another's company.

He followed her into her bedroom, and she turned around when he entered. "Why did you come to Suna" she asked, arms crossed and her angled, "the Chunin Exams aren't for another few months, why are you here?"

"I told you: to see you." he looked squarely at her. Her bottom lip was swollen; the dark purple color of her mouth and navy of the stitches contradicted the sudden paleness of her face. She must have been incredibly high on the herbs they had given her to block the pain. She wasn't thinking straight.

"Well?" She said, "Why would you, the laziest man alive, walk the many miles to spend a few days getting laid?"

"Is it really that difficult to understand, Mari?" He frowned slightly, "I am a man. We men would walk forever if there was the promise of a women ready and willing at the end."

"Oh, so you come to me because I am, what was it: 'ready and willing?' What am I to you, Nara? Some whore who enjoys to let you fuck me every time you come around?"

"That's not what I meant." He said quickly, but she ignored him.

"Because I guarantee you there are plenty of women in Konoha who _are_ ready and willing to let a Ninja mess around with them! But don't you dare think for a moment that I am one of them."

"Mari" he said slowly, stepping closer. He didn't want to deal with this, but he didn't want to leave while they were in the middle of a fight. Plus he knew full well he had chosen the wrong words before, and he wanted to, no, needed to correct her. It was his fault she had gotten into such a mood. _Damn, what a difficult woman._

"I know you are not a whore, I would never bed a prostitute."

"Oh, but other women are okay? Because really, Shikamaru, it's not like you have any bond to me. No limitations, no promises. You could go around and screw the brains out of any women you meet, and you wouldn't be doing anything wrong."

Okay, now he didn't know where this was coming from. He looked taken aback for a moment, but then turned and shut her bedroom door before stepping a few feet closer to her. Temari lived in an apartment building; he didn't need the neighbors hearing the rest of this.

"I have never touched anyone else."

"Really? Yeah, I knew you hadn't when I met you. But you were, what, thirteen, maybe? I wouldn't know if you've been with anyone, I see you a few times a year, you never get horny during that time, you never touch anyone else? Yeah, right."

"What is this, Temari? Calm down, let's talk about this like two adults."

"You're barely seventeen! I'm the only adult here, which only makes this worse. I should be dating. I should be out, with a boyfriend, with friends! No here. Not with you. Do you know how unfair this is? All this. Do you even know how much you fuck up my life, Nara?"

Shikamaru threw up his arms and sighed. She was high, crazy, not herself. And he was at a loss of how to deal, "no, actually I don't know. Please, by all means, enlighten me." He lied down on the bed and shut his eyes.

"You forfeit, fucking forfeit during Chunin's, then when I see you again you compliment me, next time I fight alongside you, and then that time afterwards in the hospital when I found out about you're huge daddy issues and you cried in front of me, which as sadistic as it sounds, it a _complete_ turn on, and then you take me out to drink the next time, and slowly and carefully you plan out this extravagant affair, make me fall madly in love with you to the point where the idea of touching another man makes me sick, and yet you never make anything out of it!

"You make me hold on, please you, and then leave, again and again! And not once, not ever, do you dare think about being with me, marrying me, much less dating me. Is it impossible to think of me that way, as an actual woman, a woman with feelings other than my own libido? Tell me, Shikamaru, tell me. No, _enlighten me."_

He sat up, stared at her. Did she really just say that? He thought back…she had. _Madly in love with you._ He shook his head, no, it was impossible. She would never say that. They had it worked out. They did. A few weeks ago she had specifically said she didn't want to date him that she _was _fine with what they had.

She was fine with just fucking him, wasn't she? She wasn't acting like a woman in love, _harder, Shika, harder. _No, women in love didn't talk like that. At least, he didn't imagine they would ever be so demanding or vulgar with the man they…loved?

"Mari" he said softly, as she kneeled down, head in her hands, "you are tired, and injured, let's get you to sleep, we can talk about this later."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry" she got up on her own even though he came to help her, "I don't know where that came from."

It was like she had echoed his exact thoughts.

"Come on, Mari. Please, Mari. Come to bed."

She walked out the door "I need to take a bath."

"Do you want me to join you?" She laughed, a high-pitched, crazed laugh, and shut the door behind her.

He came in anyways, when she didn't come out for over an hour. "You're so difficult sometimes, you know that right?"

"More than I care to" she said, not looking at him. She swished around the bubbles for a second, wondering if he planned on getting undressed.

He kneeled next to her outside the tub and leaned over to cup her face in his hand, "I don't want you to hate me" he said, stretching to kiss her neck.

She chuckled softly.

He smiled against her, "You know I would never think of being with someone else."

"You say that."

"It's true."

"And?"

He looked at her, her eyes wide and innocent. It made Shikamaru smile. "And I want you to let me carry you out, dry you off, and then, if I am still awake, let me fuck the life out of you until dawn."

"Yeah?" she looked at him sideways, "I think that would be okay."

"But?"

"But…I would rather you wait for me to get clean, and if _I_ am up for it, let you fuck the life out of me until dawn."

"You are clean," he said, grabbing her hand and holding it up for inspection, "see, wrinkled and everything."

"You know I really hate you sometimes."

"No you don't," he smirked as she huffed and threw her hand back under the water.

"Yes, actually. I do. Right now, you see this? This is nothing but hate."

"Really?" He stood up, only to bend over and pull her out of the water, getting his shirtsleeves wet in the meantime.

"No, it's true."

"Well that's funny. I thought you loved me." He carried her to the bed.

"Ah, take it back!" she banged a fist on his chest. He just laughed softly and dropped her onto the sheets, her body making wet spots on the white linen. She lay in the middle of the bed, and he had to grab her legs to pull her down, closer to the edge.

"I said: take it back, Shikamaru!" He kissed her stomach, and her inner thigh; he kissed her shoulder and brushed a finger over her cut lip.

"What a troublesome, troublesome woman you are, Temari."

"Cut the jokes" She slapped his shoulder before pulling off his shirt in one motion. "I mean it."

He smiled and kissed her shoulders again, pulling out her hair in the process. "What jokes?"

She watched his eyes go from humorous to pure lust. She loved that sight.

In the next instant he was inside her, moving around slowly. She ran a hand down his back, his butt, and as far as she could reach down his thighs- just feeling him, touching him.

"Shika" she whispered into his ear a few moments later, "I am sorry, I never meant…"

"Ha" he said pushing in harder. He cupped her face and brushed their lips together, not wanting to hurt her.

"Shika" she said again.

"I know" he said, "I know."

She just stared at him, "Shika, _faster._"

He laughed and obliged. "I hate you sometimes too," he said. It was vague, but she understood. _I love you sometimes too. _

"Well that will work out then."

He shuddered as he climaxed, collapsing on top of her, "it always seems to, it always seems to."


	3. It Begins

_**review. i am serious**_

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Shikamaru bowed his head, watching her as she walked away from him. He had known for sometime that she had a crush on him. He always found that it was easy to tell with women. He only hoped she couldn't tell what he as thinking whenever he saw her; that would be embarrassing.

Whenever she came to Konoha, he would experience many sleepless nights, as he tried to pry the image of her from his mind. It was troublesome, and annoying, and bloody difficult. Especially since he never actually got to _do _those things with Temari. Well, now he might, because today, for the first time, she had actually kissed him.

He resisted from touching his lips. He remembered the way hers felt on his, the passion and fire she had had as she moved her mouth against his.

He had kissed girls before. But he had never, never kissed a girl like this. As she through her arms around his neck, he had instinctively held her there, a hand on the back of her head ensuring she wouldn't move, another on her lower back, keeping her hips pressed against his.

Shikamaru hadn't wanted to feel so vulnerable as she fed him her tongue, but he did. She made him less calm, less strategic. Which was something Temari had never been able to do.

One of the reasons he liked her so much was because she never gave up on him. She always tried to make him achieve his finest. She knew how smart he was, and she often didn't take anything but the best from him.

But she had never unraveled him. When she demanded the best, forced him into working his hardest, she had never been able to unsettle him so much.

Even in his dreams and fantasies, he was still in control of his actions.

But here, he was lost.

He had no boundary, no limit, no control. He was unbound, unstrung, and completely crazed. Shikamaru knew, no matter what happened between him and Temari, he was going to have to be able to reign in his passion with her before they could do anything.

* * *

Temari gripped the sheets, hoping the dreams would go away.

Before, she had had dreams about him talking with her, or kissing her softly on the lips as they had a romantic picnic in the woods.

She had had dreams about them fighting, and then he would stop the fight mid-yell and go kiss her classically.

But never had she had dreams like this.

She was yelling at him, screaming at him for some unknown purpose. And then, almost out of the blue, he was kissing her hungrily. Biting at her lips, raping her mouth.

She gripped his hair, his back, his butt. She couldn't keep her hands off him, and he was stuck in the same boat as her. She was moaning.

He attacked her neck savagely, beginning to open up her shirt, feeling her bra and then her breast. Rubbing and pinching. And then as he kissed her harder, he began to stick his knee between her legs, pushing them apart…

Temari sat up, panting. She had never had a dream like _that_ before, and never with Shikamaru Nara.

She blinked. Thinking back, she remembered this afternoon when she had kissed him. It wasn't a romantic kiss, like she had always wanted, and it wasn't one of those in her dream, which she now began to crave.

She brought her fingers to her lips, remembering Shikamaru's there not twelve hours ago.

"Temari, are you okay?" Kankuro's voice came from the door to her hotel room. "I heard you get up."

Temari sighed, "yes, I am fine. Not tired is all." She got up and opened the door. "Why are _you_ awake?"

Her brother blinked, "Couldn't sleep."

"Are you hungry?" She asked, stepping out into the cool air.

"Yes, let's go." She and Kankuro began walking, slowly talking over nothing important.

The dumpling shop was crowded, which was odd seeing as it was past the normal dinnertime.

"Ah, Temari-chan, Kankuro-kun" Asuma Sarutobi greeted them. He sat at a table in the back of the shop, and waved his hands in the air, telling them to come by.

"Good evening, Sarutobi-kun. Are you here alone?" Temari asked, hands on her hips.

"No, no" he said, motioning for them to sit down, "Kurenai is supposed to join me here any minute now."

"Ah" Kankuro said, sitting down, "do you mind if we join you?"

Temari elbowed her brother, smiling at Sarutobi, "No, Kankuro. Let us leave Sarutobi and Yuhi to their meal. They are good friends and should eat together, _okay._"

"Sure" said Kankuro, getting up, completely oblivious to what Temari was trying to say.

"Uh, well- bye then," Sarutobi said as his companion walked in.

Temari and Kankuro went to go sit back on the other side of the restaurant. "That was cute" she said, looking across the room. "They are a cute couple."

"Oh, they are together?" Kankuro asked.

"I think so. Well, Nara thinks so, and he is usually smart about those kind of things."

"Yeah, _Nara_ thinks so."

Temari snapped her head towards him, "what is that supposed to mean?"

* * *

"I ran into a friend of yours yesterday" Asuma said, moving a piece on the board.

"Mine?" Ino asked, lying out in the sun.

"No, his."

"Mine?" Shikamaru made his move. "Who?"

"Two of the Sand siblings."

"I wouldn't consider them friends. I am their guide" Shikamaru said calmly, stating a fact.

"Except for Temari" Ino sing-songed, smiling.

"Huh?" Shikamaru looked at her.

Ino sat up and straightened her hair, "oh please, do you really find that I am that naïve?"

"She is right" Asuma said, taking his turn, "that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?" Shikamaru asked.

"As your Sensei, I find it is my duty to teach you some things."

"Oh no" Ino and Choji laughed, mockingly covering their ears.

"Where is this going?" Shikamaru stared Asuma, not blinking.

He only smiled, pulling out the cigarette from between his lips, "young Temari-chan had a small…love bite," he said, "right here." He motioned to his neck. "I don't think she noticed it, but it was very…fresh."

"Ha!" The two other teammates apparently had heard, as they burst into hysterics.

Shikamaru's ears turned red. He remembered giving that to her yesterday afternoon. Maybe it had been a bad idea.

"I just think you should be careful, go slow." Asuma said, inhaling, "women won't appreciate it if you move to fast."

"It is true" Ino managed in between laughs.

"Like you go slow with Kurenai-Sensei?" Shikamaru said pointedly.

Ino and Choji burst into a new round of giggles.

"Never mind" Asuma said, looking back at the game quickly.

"Yeah, that is what I thought" Shikamaru took the winning move.

* * *

"Temari" he stepped closer, "are we going to talk about this?"

"Talk about what?" She asked innocently, kicking around pebbles.

"Us" he said slowly. "What happened yesterday."

"What do you want to say about it?"

"I don't know, what do you want to say about it?" Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets, and averted his eyes to the ground.

She wasn't embarrassed by what had happened yesterday. She had never been one to feel regretful about her actions. She had known Shikamaru kissed her back yesterday- that had been _pretty_ obvious. But she also was not one to let loud her feelings without knowing what the consequences would be.

"Nothing. It was impulsive, and hot, and completely inappropriate, and if you want me to not make the move again, I won't. But I don't see how it really changes our relationship at all? I mean, it's not like we _need_ to talk about it. I am seventeen, Shikamaru, I have hormones, and I acted on them, that is it."

He looked back up at her, head inclined. Temari stood strong, arms crossed, face hard. He sometimes felt weak besides her. It was stupid of him, but he did.

"That's it?"

She nodded.

"Stop lying, Temari. I see the way you look at me." Her eyes opened wider, "you think I am not looking, but I always see it. I know how you blush when I compliment you, or the way your eyes light up when you see me, I am not an idiot."

"No, because you are Shikamaru Nara, _the_ Shikamaru Nara. Nothing but idiotic up there" she tapped her temple sarcastically.

He didn't know how to respond, so he kept quiet.

"My eyes do not light up when I see you." She said softly, not denying everything he said.

"It was impulsive" he said, "and quite troublesome. You know how difficult this is on my behalf don't you? The one woman I actually have an interest in is too damn difficult to deal with."

She smiled softly, "are we actually talking about this?"

He shrugged, "I think we should try it again."

Now she stepped closer. "Oh, we should?"

"It would be best, you know, to get it out of the way, with our hormones charged and all."

"Does that sum up our conversation?"

He shook his head. "I like you, Temari. I like you a lot, but I don't like you like I should."

"You just want to fuck my brains out?" She said slowly, fingering the bottom of his fishnet top. He considered her words. "Because that is what I want to do to you." She finished, answering for him.

"Except, I think we should take it slow. I don't want to be un-chivalrous." He thought aloud, remembering his Sensei's words. Though his teammates were oblivious to the fact that Asuma had anything _real_ going on with Kurenai, he had seen them going at it once- not a sight kind to his eyes.

But that was the kind of relationship he wanted with Temari, so he followed his Sensei's advice.

"Okay" she said, bringing his lips to hers again.

* * *

**Sometimes I become really passionate about Naruto, but sometimes I get out of it too. Whenever I catch up on new episodes, or hear the Cascada songs _What Hurt's the Most _or _Bad Boy_, both of which remind me of the show, I become desperate to watch it (I never read the magna) or write. I become inspired. **

**So what I am trying to say is, whenever I update, expect a few more updates quickly, and then probably a large break in between. Just FYI.**

**P.S.**

**For the next three chapters I am going to make them a Part I, Part II, Part III because they are in order and central around one event, whereas the rest of the chapters have no numerical order, although the time slots are pretty easy to figure out. **

**So, that's all. **

**Thanks, a ton. And Review! I get more alerts than reviews. and I would MUCH rather have input than loyalty. **

**So do IT**

**-**Lollipop 


	4. The Breakup, Part I

**This is Part I. There will be another drabble that is in no way a continuation of this posted in the next few days. By next week I think I will post Part II**

* * *

Chapter IV: The Breakup, Part I- Ages 21 and 23, respectively

* * *

It happened in a bar. And this led both Temari and Shikamaru to conclude that the idea of confronting your lover about an issue is never well-done when both of you are wasted.

They used to come out to this bar often, hanging around when they were young, sexual deviants, helplessly in love. But now they were older, maybe not much more mature, or any less deviant in their sexuality, but older- and that alone brought consequences of its own.

Shikamaru had been invited by Naruto, and Temari by association. She was staying in Konoha, had been staying there for almost four months now. And although she and Shikamaru weren't dating, it was now common knowledge to almost everyone that they were sleeping together.

It seemed Naruto had gathered this little group to tell everyone that he was going to officially move in with Hinata. Most people didn't consider this a large step in the relationship, or particularly interesting news, but they all were interested in drinking together.

Temari looked over the room, watching Shikamaru's friends. In many ways she considered them her friends as well.

She had ever had a group like this, not a group she trained with since childhood, or one she continued to work with. She had her brothers, and that was all.

But Shikamaru had everything. She had always been jealous of his circle of friends. Not because he gave them more attention or anything, but because he was lucky enough to be raised among such amazing people.

On the dance floor, Ino and Kiba were swinging their hips.

Behind them, Tenten was dancing by herself because she had refused the couple of men who had asked. Hinata was with her, awkwardly not dancing, and across the bar, Naruto, Choji, Shino, and Lee stood, away from the crowd, watching the dance floor.

Finally, in the corner sat Neji, his eyes cast shadily towards Tenten, while talking a few feet away from him were Sai and Kakashi, the latter of whom Naruto had thought a party would be incomplete without.

Yes, Temari was definitely jealous.

"We are getting old, Mari" Shikamaru said, placing a hand on the bar. "Look here, we have Naruto, that hyper-active idiot, moving in with the girl of his dreams, Ino and Kiba finding mutual ground, and little Tenten over there is being disgustingly ogled by her teammate, which even though they'd work better than her and Kankuro, just doesn't seem right."

"Can Neji see through her clothes?" Temari asked, looking between the two.

Shikamaru shook his head, "I don't think so, but who really knows?"

"I can't believe Naruto is moving in with Hinata" She said, sighing, "pretty soon they will be married and having children and I will be stuck here, sitting in this bar alone."

Shikamaru frowned. "Well that is a stupid thought. You live with me."

"Will we be married soon, and having children?" Temari said easily, playing with her glass.

"Ha" Shikamaru scratched his head, "not if I can help it."

"So… what? Are you going to end up sitting here with me after everyone has gone?"

"Who knows?" Shikamaru sipped his drink and turned away from dance floor, looking right at Temari.

She stared back with cold eyes. "You don't want to be married, ever? You don't want to have a home, a family? What about your godson, you love him almost as much as you love me, and yet, you never want one of your own?"

"I can't say, but for now: no. I want to stay here, with you, doing what we do."

She smiled softly, "I do to. I really do, Shika. I love you, and I want us to stay like this. I am perfectly happy this way."

"Well, then, why the interrogation?"

"Because I need some sign that this is real. I need to know that at some point we will make it official. I'm not even sure I want to get married. I just want to know if our future involves more than this."

"Is this not enough?" He took her hand and squeezed it, kissing her briefly before she pulled away.

"God, it is. But not forever."

His voice became low, "I love you, Temari. Please explain to me why you think we won't work it out."

She stood up, agitated. "Because you have no plans, Shikamaru. I have no idea what you want from me."

"What the fuck? You know me more than anyone. You can't expect this motivation from _me, _Mari." There was a pause as she threw back a shot. "Let's go home" he said, grabbing her elbow. She pulled away. "Fuck, Temari" he snapped, "could we not make a scene here?"

"Fine then" she pushed past him. "Outside. _Now_."

He followed her outback.

"I don't think you really understand it, Shikamaru," she said, pacing, "you knew it would come to this! You knew I would see all these people growing up and becoming serious and we would be stuck here."

"We've been together more than twice as long as anybody here, goddamit." He said, "don't pretend like we're not serious."

"Except _I_ want more. And I didn't think I did. I didn't want to be a girlfriend or any shit like that. I just want you. And I want to be your wife."

"A label? A document? You _are _my wife. Marriage won't change anything. And you don't want it either. _You're _the one who always said that. No wedding, white dress, organ player. Do you _really_ want to have people come celebrate our love?"

"Hell no" she snapped, "but I more. I want children."

"Eventually."

"Soon."

"I can't."

"I love you. And I hate to say it, but I'm not strong enough to live without you. Think about this- this is the best strategy for us. For our countries. It's been sitting on us for a while now, but time is running out. Tsunade is pushing for it. And when Naruto succeeds her, he'll push for it. And Gaara is. And damn it, _you _want it. You. Want. _Me_."

You know I am no good at emotions" he said, hands in and out of his pockets, fidgeting, "don't make this difficult."

"Romance _is_difficult."

"I know!" He shouted, taking her aback, he rarely raised his voice, even during sex. "I know." He said again, beginning to pace while she had stopped, "and I sacrificed that nine years ago. I know how you feel, Mari. I love you, and you know I do."

"Well then do it, Shikamaru, get down on one knee and fucking do it."

"What?" He stepped towards her, "promise that we have a future together? Is that it? Or propose? What do you want from me?"

"Just fucking ask it."

"So is it security now? Or are we still on marriage? Wait, children?"

"Are you mocking me?" She was furious, but then took a surprisingly calming breath before saying, ever so gracefully, "Shikamaru Nara" she stepped closer, "will you marry me?"

He closed the distance between them, kissing her hard, sucking on her lips. "Yes" he whispered, pulling back a moment later.

She through him against the wall and proceeded to give him the best sex he'd ever had.

That was how Shikamaru saw it. That was exactly what happened in his mind when he woke up that morning, before reality came crashing down. He turned around in bed. It was empty. He was alone.

Except for the girl in his bathtub, but he knew that wasn't Temari. After all, Ino's clothes were lying on the chair right over there.

"I am surprised," Gaara said, standing in his office a few days later. Temari didn't respond. "I thought you were going to be together forever. After all, he is in love with you."

"Yes, well. Apparently not that much."

"I do not know about that. Had you not gone dancing with Kiba, I am sure he would have never kissed Yamanaka." Gaara, sat down in his chair and Temari across from him. "You ran out after that?"

"Yes" she gave a curt nod.

"I have seen the way he looks at you, Temari. I have only seen that look from a few people. It is rare, don't be mad forever."

"I can't help it. Being mad at him comes so easily to me. I don't think I will be able to get over it."

"Think about not being with him, is that easier than forgetting one night?"

"He could have chased after me" she snapped, looking away.

"He didn't see you." Gaara paused, glancing out the window before looking back at her. The words slid from his mouth with a careful grace and easy tone, even though the pain was still there, "I know what jealousy does to man, even when they don't really care about the girl. In his circumstance, I can only imagine what Nara must have felt. Give him some slack."

"I don't know what to do" she said, angrily trying not to cry in front of him.

"Yes you do" Gaara said, reaching across the table to touch her hand, "just don't wait too long to do it."

There was a sharp knock on the door.

"One moment" Gaara called.

"Hey" Kankuro said, pushing open the door a crack, "sorry to interrupt, Tema, but he's just outside the gates."

"Nara's here?"

* * *

She was wrapped in only a towel when she came into his room, slowly creeping about.

"Morning, Ino" Shikamaru said, suprising her.

"Oh, Shikamaru-kun, I thought you would be asleep for sure. Why _are_you up? You do realize it isn't even dawn yet. "

"Look-"

"Of course" she said, "I should leave." She gathered her clothes.

"Wait" he said, suprising her yet again. She looked at him, eyes wide, "I apologize" he said, frowning, "but I don't really remember what happened last night."

She nodded. "Of course" she said again. "I don't mean to be a burden, and I need to talk to you Shikamaru, but shouldn't you be off to find Temari-chan?"

"She lives here, I do not know where she could have gone."

"Home?" she said unsurly, feeling awkward.

Shikamaru stiffened, "she lives here" he mumbled.

"Look, Shikamaru. To start off, we are teammates. This can't happen without reprocutions. When Choji and I dated…well you know how that ended." He opened his mouth, but she stuck up her hand, finishing. "But that isn't all. You love Temari. I know you do, and she loves you. I was a mistake, I know that. I always did, somewhere in my mind last night."

Shikamaru frowned, "It was my fault, Mari and I were fighting and-"

"I know" she said. "But I had something in this too. It isn't just your fault. I always just have bad luck with this. I mean, I was madly infatuated with Sasuke for years, and look at him now. And then Kiba, well, we weren't perfect, no matter how hard we tried over the years. And Choji, he was great at the time, he still is. But I don't like him like that. And now one guy I actually think I might have feelings for is completely oblivious to everything I do or say. So please, Shikamaru, give me this. Let me know that somewhere inside I can still have you. Because you are one of my best friends and I would do anything to not lose that."

"Ino…"

"Go find her" she said, smiling softly. That was when the door banged.

"Let me in!" Sakura bellowed.

"Well, looks like she came back" Shikamaru said slowly.

"Shikamaru Nara!" She screamed.

"What?" He said, opening the front door.

Sakura stood, hands on hips. He hadn't seen her for a while, and it always felt good when she came back to visit. She was older, taller, her hair long, an Uchiha symbol on her clothes. Shikamaru looked past her, and sure enough, a young boy stood, with his mother's emerald eyes and his father's dark hair. The kid was probably three or four now, which made Shikamaru begin to speculate on his pending relationship/breakup/marriage with Temari. Which of those, he didn't know. Shikamaru watched the child, fascinated until Sakura pulled his attention back to her.

"Where is Temari?" she shouted.

Shikamaru scrathed his head, "not here this moment."

"Could that be because she is probably halfway to Suna by now? Probably, because that's where she was headed last night, when I passed her on the road, crying her eyes out!"

Shikamaru frowned, Temari was crying? Oh...shit.

"Ino" Shikamaru said aloud, "I have to go, will you lock up?" Then he looked back towards Sakura, "good to see you again, Sakura-chan. Tell Sasuke I said: hi." And with that, Shikamaru pushed past her and ran down the porch steps and down the path.

"Ino!" He heard Sakura shout. "Ino, what the _fuck_ are you doing here?" Temari had always liked the pink-haired girl, and he was suddenly glad to see that Sakura was defending Temari's honor, even if Ino didn't do anything wrong.

"Hey, hey, Sai!" Shikamaru ran up to the man sitting on the bench. "Can you do me a favor?" He didn't wait for an answer, "tell Tsunade that I will be gone for a few days." Sai nodded, tilting his head and smiling.

"Where are you going, Shikamaru?"

"To Suna" he said, running off again. Sai watched, suddenly confused as to why Shikamaru would be leaving and why he was running. He didn't understand all that much about other people, but he knew Shikamaru did not run when he could help it.

"Oh, and Sai" Shikamaru ran back and said slowly, "you might want to stop by Ino-chan's tonight. I think she has something to say to you."

Puzzled, Sai smiled again "have fun on your trip, goodbye."

Shikamaru grimaced at his words and continued his way down the street, blocking out every other sense, concentrating only on the movement of his legs and the feeling of the wind against his cheeks.

* * *

_**Tramps like us, baby we were born to run.**_

**Part II next week. **

I own no rights


	5. A Storm

**This chapter is pure fluff. Just sex, no contributing story. **

* * *

The rain was pounding hard against the window. The morning had been a clear day, a good day to finish her travel to Konoha. But by noon, the clouds had covered the sky- luckily, Temari had arrived before then.

"Are you cold?" She asked, rolling over to look at his strong, lean back.

He sighed, "no," and a moment later: "looks like the rain isn't going to stop for a long time."

"Do you have work to do?"

"Nothing that couldn't wait until the storm lets up."

She chuckled, and pulled herself up close to him, wrapping an arm around his chest. "Well, I guess we are stuck here until then."

Her younger lover interlaced their fingers and brought her fingertips to his lips, kissing softly. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

Shikamaru laughed and moved to lie on his back, pulling her on top of him. She smiled and lay out over him, not holding her weight. "Never." He kissed her and ran his hands down her body to cup her ass.

Thunder rolled and the house shook. Temari shuddered and sat up, pulling him with her. She liked this position; it wasn't one they used much. They tended to stick to the classics, this being the borderline between traditional and kinky. His eye level straight to her chest, he began sucking and nipping, squeezing her other breast in his hands.

Temari threw her head back and grinned, closing her eyes to better experience the sensations.

Goosebumps covered her body and the feeling of the cool air breezing across her shoulders and back only added to the feeling of his warm and wet mouth on her breasts.

"You're hard already?" She half-whispered.

He rested his head on her neck, brushing his tongue over her collar. "Ha, well my recovery time has been getting quicker."

She pulled his head back and stared at him, brushing the long brown hair from his face. "I've noticed."

He stared at her for a second before kissing her again, as she kneaded her fists into his back, massaging him.

She rolled her sex over him, taunting him to take control. He did and pulled her over him, gasping as he did so.

"I love you, Mari" he said, pausing as she adjusted.

"You'd better" she added. He kissed her again, moving quickly, lifting her up with his thrusts. Within a few moments she threw her head back as she came, moaning loudly. She had never been much of a screamer.

He pulled her down a moment later as she panted, trying to regain control of her body in the aftermath of her climax. "That was incredibly quick." He sighed, "Keep that up and you will only continue to boost my manly pride."

"And we all know how much I would hate to do that." She breathed, leaning her forehead against his.

"Ha" he smiled, kissing her softly, waiting for her to fully recuperate before he began again.

"Okay" she said softly, running her hands along his face. "Go ahead." He did, setting the pace for a slow fuck, hands on her hips, making her move according to him.

He bit down on her pulse, making her growl. She touched his shoulders, his cheeks, his ribs, rubbing and cupping, begging for more. Shikamaru grinned at her silently, watching her reaction to the sex. Her face was flushed, hair damp with sweat, and her mouth was practically watering with anticipation of her mounting orgasm.

Suddenly in an effort to make it easier for both of them, he flipped them over so she could angle her hips better, granting him more access to her body.

Shikamaru laid his head against her collar, breathing in huffs, trying to control himself, waiting for her.

The slick movements between them suddenly changed as she lifted a leg and held it up, against the wall. He immediately hit a spot, causing her to jerk. Knowing what she wanted, he went quickly. Whereas he used to pull halfway out, now he hardly moved an inch, pulsating into her quicker than usual.

Temari grabbed the headboard, holding her breath as she came and finally gasping for air. Her orgasm was so hard and sudden that she forgot where she was, who she was. Sometimes coming did that to her.

Her body racked, urging him to continue. He did, aggressively moving his cock in and out of her heated body.

"Fuck, Shika" she sighed, "…fuck" she repeated, lying still, basking in the aftermath of yet a second orgasm.

"Not yet" he said huskily as thunder racked the house again. "Not yet."

"Just come, come for me," she said softly, moving her hands to keep his head against her chest. "Please, Shika, you can do it."

He chuckled and then began to shake as he let go and felt his climax rack his body in a blissful ecstasy. Finally, after what was a prolonged orgasm, Shikamaru rolled off her, pulling his sweaty lover close to him, her head on his shoulder.

"Difficult" he said, wiping the damp hair from his face.

"Huh?" She locked a foot around one of his ankles, pulling her leg over his.

"The storm" he explained, "we really will have to stay in bed all day."

She smiled softly, kissing his cheek, "How is that a problem?" She asked, and then ignoring her own question, peered down into the sheets that were suddenly beginning to tent, "I have my work cut out for me."

He laughed and pulled her closer.

"Stamina" Temari whispered, lying back over Shikamaru and forcing his lips to hers. Outside the storm began to slowly cease before the thunder struck again, lasting throughout the night.

* * *

**Like it? Obviously my love scenes aren't that great, so I am going to continue to try working on them harder. Part II of The Breakup comes next.. ENJOY. **

**review**


	6. The Breakup, Part II

**Part II of _The Breakup_**

**_Enjoy. _**

**I own NO rights.**

* * *

Sure it was a nice dress. Yes, she looked amazing in it, there was no doubt about that. But none of that mattered to him. She could have been wearing rags for all he cared. To Shikamaru, she was the most captivating girl in the room no matter what. He didn't care where they were, or who they were with- all he wanted was to see her. And since he had all but been officially exiled from Suna, it had been awhile since he had seen her in any capacity.

He squinted, watching from across the room. She was wearing this long black dress that was hung off her body modestly, yet looked so simple and elegant all at once. Her hair was tied in a knot against the back of her neck.

A style that drove him nuts.

She didn't seem to notice him though. Instead, she just turned to her friend, whispering. He had expected to see her here. He had come specifically so he _would _see her. It had been too long. Too many sleepless nights had past, and it was time she realized just how much he needed her, how much she needed him.

He had been thinking about her non-stop since she officially broke up with him so long ago. He replayed that moment in his head almost every day. The three days after he had slept with Ino had given him more prospective on his life with Temari, those three days as he followed her to Suna.

Shikamaru always knew he would be with her forever. There wasn't really a question there. But for those few days, there had been uncertainty whether or not they _were _still together.

And he couldn't deal with that. He needed her close. He needed her in his arms. The thought of not being together made his heart clench, it made him sick. At the time, those few days were the most torturous he had ever experienced. Shikamaru knew, without a doubt in his mind, that a life with Temari was really no life at all. If marrying her was what it took, if having a family was what she wanted, he would bend over backwards to give it to her.

But when he arrived in the Sand, it hadn't gone as planned. He had confessed everything, his love, his proposal, he begged- yes, Shikamaru _begged_- for her to take him back, to kiss him and make it all go away.

But she couldn't. Through her tears she had refused him, telling him that his adultery was too much.

"_How can I be married to a man who's face I wake up to every morning just reminds me of what he did, and how he hurt me? How do you expect me to live with that?"_

He shuddered now, remembering those words. She had kept her calm while breaking up with him, only proving how serious she really was.

Temari was not one to evoke her calm unless she was deadly resolute.

Her voice, her words that day…they had killed something inside him.

The next few months passed in a blur. Shikamaru could not go home without she scent of her or the memories plaguing his mind. He sold his apartment, moved to another side of town, was gone most of the time anyways on silly, stupid, and suicidal missions. \

He had lost a great deal of weight, which was bad seeing as he was lean to begin with. But no eating and no sleeping had their affects on him.

It wasn't until a month ago when the plans were made for this dinner, that he finally began to reign himself in.

He had a plan. He needed to show her. To prove to her that he was the _only_ one she could ever love.

He walked slowly across the ballroom, moving along to wall to avoid crowds of dancing couples. A woman stopped him, wanting to talk, but he brushed her off. He made it another few yards before he was stopped again. This time the woman to stop him held onto his sleeve as she began a conversation.

"Sorry" Shikamaru said, "But now is not a great time. May I get back to you?" He pulled his arm away fiercely and averted back to where Temari had been standing. But she was gone. He spun around, eyes searching. Was it possible she had seen him and ran? Shikamaru didn't doubt it. That was why he was so taken aback when she spoke.

"Quite the stud tonight, Nara" Temari said. Her voice was deeper, heavier than before. She was on his left, drink in hand.

Temari clenched the glass nervously. She had been apprehensive about coming here, but her boss, her brother, had insisted. She had a feeling Shikamaru would be here. He was not one to avoid her.

So she figured she best do the same. Confront him now, head on, before the evening really began. If she talked to him now, they wouldn't be awkwardly dancing in circles all night.

But seeing him like this, his black suit and silk tie, his hair combed back into his classic high ponytail- it made her want to ravage him, to lick his neck right where the normally tan skin met his hairline, to pull off his coat, loosen his collar, undo his zipper, and have him pummel into her so hard she passed out.

She wanted to feel his rather large…endowment thrusting into her so hard that he hit her cervix, she wanted to taste him, to be reminded of the taste of his mouth and his skin- all those memories she had made while they were together had faded, and she couldn't keep renewing them.

Temari blinked, pushing those thoughts from her head. She tried to look at Shikamaru. Not the man she knew, the man she saw.

He was thinner, she could see where his bones protrude under his clothing. He was pale too, and he was damaged. There were small scars on the right side of the back of his neck that she assumed led down to his shoulder or possible even further.

She could also see new scars on his fingers, his knuckles. She could see how the bones in one of his hands had been completely shattered, and had probably healed not too long ago.

Temari watched him, resisting the urge to…to…well, she didn't know. Kiss him? Punch him? Feed him?

So instead of taking any action, she stayed still, and forced herself to be completely void of any thoughts or feelings. Unfortunately, she failed to notice how her nipples had grown hard just at some of the previous ideas she had had.

Unfortunately, Shikamaru noticed, as his eyes wove up her body slowly, giving him a small burst of hope. Finally he straightened his suit and looked into her eyes, seeking out some sort of emotion.

Any emotion.

Her dark, teal colored eyes were cold and hard. Those which were once deep were now empty. There was a barrier up. Tucking away any feelings she might have.

They were silent for a few moments as he studied her and she struggled to keep her reserve and control.

Finally one of them spoke: "Good to see you, Temari-chan" he said slowly, grabbing a drink from a nearby tray. He raised his glass slightly in a small toast. Temari mimicked his movements, unaware of what exactly she was toasting.

In all this time, all these months, he had never once left her mind.

And every night she lay in bed, slipping a hand underneath her covers and muffling her moans as she imagined Shikamaru. Because really, although she was in love with _him,_ not just his actions in bed- sex was the basis of their relationship.

Yes, she did love him, not only because he was her best friend, the one person whom she thought she could always depend on, and the one man who understood her best, but he was mainly the best lover, the _only_ lover who could make her happy.

They were good at many things, but the thing they were best at was pure, carnal, loving, and lustful sex.

And that he had dared break that bond by touching Ino Yamanaka the way he should _only_ touch Temari, well that was too much.

She would have forgiven him for anything else, any other act of betrayal, but by sharing his bed with someone else- Temari couldn't handle it.

And she hated it. She hated that she couldn't look at him that day without thinking about it. She had been ready to forgive him, to make up with him. But he told her that he had slept with Ino. After that, every time Temari eyed his lips she would be plagued of images of various parts of Ino's body in his mouth, and she could imagine his hands, where they had been…after all, Shikamaru was always one to start with his hands.

Temari took a small breath, balancing out her thoughts.

"Yes" she said, sipping timidly. "I must say, I am not surprised though. You do live in Konoha after all."

Shikamaru thought out his words. There wasn't much to say, Temari could do this, she could make the small talk for the evening. He couldn't. He had a mission; he came here to prove something.

"Of course, I came here with the purpose of seeing you." He said the words slowly, but to the point. Temari was his, and he was going to take her back.

In his mind, there wasn't any other option. If Temari refused him this time, if it really was over…well Shikamaru would-

He didn't have an answer to that.

Temari resisted the urge to blush. She didn't want to see him. No, she wanted him far, far away. She was no good at withstanding her urges around him. If he made the right move, she would be his easily. She was well aware of this.

She had _only_ decided to talk to him only so the night would not be awkward and they would get pleasantries out of the way so she could leave him be. Unfortunately, Shikamaru knew this too; and he was not going to waste this moment on pleasantries; like he said: 'he had come here for a purpose.'

Taken aback with his sudden proclamation, she struggled for the right words.

She averted her eyes, knowing her reserve had suddenly cracked. She wanted to curse Shikamaru, scream at him- but it was her fault. Did she really expect to remain cool when face to face with him? Stupid.

"It has been nine months, Shikamaru." Her voice was hard, but wavered at the end, much to her disappointment.

"I've been in love with you for nine _years_, Temari" he whispered furiously, color returning to his hollow cheeks as he grabbed her elbow.

"Stop." She said, pulling away. "I did not come here for this."

He let her go and they remained quiet for a long moment before he straightened and swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"You don't come here anymore at all." He said bluntly, remembering the day he had spent waiting by the gates, knowing she was coming. The disappointment of realizing that another Sand representative had been put in charge of Chunins, something they had been working on together for a decade…well that night hadn't ended well.

Temari watched him, deciding on her next move. As he got angry, she became more and more turned on. _Not_ a good sign. She needed out.

"I said: stop" she angled her head. "We are adults here, Shika, grow up. It is over." She walked away.

"You can't just decide that!" He snapped, following her.

She turned on her heel, no longer sad or incredibly horny, but angry. "Yes, I can! We've had this conversation, can't you just move on?" She spat under her breath.

"No, I can't. It is not that easy."

"Fine" she said, "you want to do this again? Let's have it out, Shika. Outside. Now."

She turned around before he could see her face pale. It had been too long since he had touched her. She should never have proposed a secluded place to be with him, especially when they were going to discuss their relationship. "Shit."

He walked out, her following him. Amazingly they managed to get into an alley before he attacked her, throwing her back into the wall.

He was barely holding her there, but Temari didn't fight back. She couldn't. Instead, she mustered the most cynical look she could, and stared.

Shikamaru exhaled, running his hands up and down her arms as Temari struggled to bite back a moan- which began to seem impossible as he toyed with the straps of her dress. Oh, dear god that dress; just looking at her in it made Shikamaru's mouth begin to water.

He pulled himself from his fantasy and slowly leaned his head into the crook between her neck and shoulder. Her glowing skin warmed him, and her breath hitched at the sudden feel of his icy skin against hers.

Shikamaru heard her breath hitch and was suddenly caught up again.

_He had to show her._

"Temari…Temari…what can I do? What do you want me to do?"

"Do you really not know the answer?" She answered in a strangled breath. He pressed up against her, molding their bodies together so he could feel her heartbeat and the feeling of her chest heaving as she breathed. Temari shut her eyes, taking deep breaths.

"I can't do that. So help me I would, I would try everything, Mari. But I can't." he said.

Was she telling the truth? Was there really no way to make up? Because what she was asking him was impossible, he couldn't go back in time and not sleep with Ino. No matter how much he wished he could.

No, he couldn't do that.

"Please" she begged, voice cracking, "please leave."

"I can't do that either" he mumbled, rubbing against her as he quickly became hard. Shikamaru touched her hand softly, lacing his fingers between hers and slowly making circular motions with his thumb on her palm.

Temari bit her lip.

_It had been so long._

And with these small motions, she began to feel dizzy, to ache for him. Her breath quickened, almost turning into a pant.

And with that small encouragement, Shikamaru unlaced his fingers from hers, turned his wrist to encase the back of her hand under his, and slowly brought her soft skin between them and over his crotch. She felt what was no doubt incredibly painful to Shikamaru, and the moment she felt him, felt _him_, she could no longer contain herself, not that she was doing well in the first place.

Shooting open her eyes, and wrenching her hand away from him, Temari gasped.

"I can't, Shikamaru!" She snapped, pushing him away. "I can't do _this._" She motioned with her hands. "I can't do this again. It is all great, and all fantastic-" she stopped and brought a hand to her chest.

Shikamaru watched her eyes, standing incredibly still.

"And…" she said in a low whisper, "and then I think about…_her._"

"Tem-" he stepped closer as she cut him off.

"I think about what you did with her. Did you touch her like you touch me? Did you breathe on her neck like you did on me" Temari began as her voice was shaking, "did you fuck her like you fuck me? Did you whisper in her ear the same things you do me? Did you like the way she said your name, or the way her face looked when she came? This is what I think about, Shika! And whenever I see you I can't help but see her. And the worst part is: I can never stop thinking about you, you never leave my mind! And I try not to love you, I try and I try, but it just won't go away!"

Shikamaru stared at her panting form, as she shook against the wall, fists clenched.

Temari started again, this time slower.

"I can't help it, Shikamaru. I love you. I _love _you. I just want it to be okay. I just want to be with you. And I know you had been drinking, and I know you were jealous, and I know you don't remember any of it. You don't remember taking her home or sticking your cock inside her- and that helps, but I still think about it."

Temari looked up from where she had held her gaze on the ground. "Please, leave me. I don't know how much longer I can resist you if you are here."

"Temari" Shikamaru said, "please" he choked out the last word, slowly stepping forward again to grab her face in his hand and force her to look at him. "Don't make me do this. I can't go through losing you again."

"Shika" she whispered, beginning to cry, "I can't holdback anymore. Don't make _me_ do this. I will regret it. It will hurt me. If you love me, then please, please leave me."

And with that, Shikamaru roughly pressed a kiss to her closed lips and cupped her face in his hands before pulling away swiftly and walking back. He avoided the ballroom and headed straight home.

There was no point in turning back.

_

* * *

I will regret it._

How was he supposed to live with that? How was he supposed to go home and live his life? He couldn't do it without her, but if she came he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

He was in a no-win situation.

And he had gotten himself into it. That was the worst.

Yet as he rolled over, pulling the sheets tightly around his body, he was not upset to see Temari's naked body as she slept. Well, technically it was only half her body- she had moved the sheets down to her waist.

No, upset was definitely not the right word.

* * *

**Okay, the problem was, I really wanted to end it like that. **

**BUT, as a special gift, I will post TWO chapters today. The next one will be what happened, and _how_ they made up. **

**Which is basically a chapter dedicated to the amazing act of sex. **

**_REVIEW_**

**-Lollipop**


	7. The Breakup, Part II cont

**Okay. So I really wanted to end that last chapter like that and I had this wickedly brilliant idea of them getting back together, and truthfully- I completely forgot it last night when I fell asleep typing only the beginning of it. So I apologize greatly. **

**I dislike this chapter, but feel like I should post it to explain. So apologies seeing as it is not as good as the other ones. **

BTW- this chapter is dedicated to**Ayamichan34 **whom went through and reviewed every chapter. Thank you! I appreciate it more than you know!

**I own no rights**

* * *

The moment his shadow turned around the corner, Temari finally allowed herself to let out a sob. Unable to muster the strength to hold herself up against the wall, Temari slid to the ground, legs sprawled and head hanging limp.

Shikamaru had left her.

And right now, she wasn't so sure that was a good thing.

Was it possible to be in such a dilemma?

Temari knew, as much as she tried, she would never get over Shikamaru. Yes, girlfriends always felt like that, but in her mind, it was different. It was impossible for her to ever love again. Because to do that, she would have to stop loving him. And Temari couldn't. She had struggled to, but to no avail.

So what was she supposed to do? How could she get on if she could never _move _on?

But she hadn't been lying when she told Shikamaru that she would regret going with him. She didn't lie when she said it would only hurt her.

But what was worse: the regret and hurt of going with him or of staying away?

Temari stood up and brushed off her dress, straightened her hair, and wiped off her face before walking back inside. She immediately headed over to the woman she had arrived with.

"Are you sure about that?" Matsuri asked, handing Temari another drink.

"Very" Temari lied easily to the girl, and then downed her drink in one gulp. Matsuri only raised her eye brows and shrugged. Everyone had seen Temari leave with Shikamaru, and most everyone had hoped not to see her return without him.

"There is someone who wants to see you. The Kazekage told her to leave, but I think it is important."

Now it was Temari's turn to raise her brow. She looked around the room to see Gaara watching her while an attractive blonde spoke to him. Temari nodded towards her brother, but he didn't seem anymore reassured. Finally, she turned away. "Where did she go?"

"Outside" Matsuri answered.

Temari nodded and walked out the front door to where the elegantly dressed Ino Yamanaka stood.

"Hello" Temari said, putting her hands onto her hips. Ino turned around and stopped fidgeting with her long, royal blue dress.

"Temari-chan" Ino said, nodding her head in greeting. No one spoke for a minute before Ino took a small step forward. "I am so sorry."

"Don't" Temari snapped, before taking a calming breath. "I am not mad at you."

"But you should be" Ino said, a tear in her eye.

Temari put her hand to her head, rubbing her temple, "I know." She said. "But I'm not. I'm not mad anymore."

Ino was at a loss for words, so she just said what came to mind first: "he loves you."

"I know that too." Temari rubbed her eyes, "but I can't do that. I can't. I would have told you when you came to Suna a few months ago, but…Gaara can be very… protective."

Ino gave a small smile, "as well he should be. I just wanted to apologize, and to try and find a way to make you reconcile with Shikamaru."

"Well, that's not going to happen, Ino. I don't know what to say, I just can't deal."

"Look, Temari. I am asking you this not as a friend, but as a teammate of Shikamaru's. You haven't seen him this past year. He is dead, Temari. He is gone. He even left our team. I mean, at first I thought it was because of me, and I understood that. But it wasn't. It was simply so he could be alone. So he could take these missions on his own, and live on the borderline of death and life. He is in and out of the hospital every week, and he never gets fully treated anyways. If he ever leaves his apartment it is to go spend the night at a bar. He doesn't eat, or sleep, or anything. Shikamaru is my teammate, Temari. And it is my duty to protect him. It is my duty to ensure his survival. We already lost Asuma-Sensei. I cannot do that again!"

The last sentence was barely coherent as Ino began to bawl.

Temari didn't know what to say. She had known all this in her own way. In one look she could see that Shikamaru had slipped. But that didn't surprise her.

If that was all, she would have been back with Shikamaru months ago.

No, no matter what Ino said, it wouldn't help Temari shake the image of her and Shikamaru together.

She had stopped blaming either of them ages ago. That wasn't what was important. It was that she couldn't banish the images, the thoughts, the questions that seemed to bubble every time she saw Shikamaru.

"Please, Temari-chan. Please." Ino said, holding her head in her hands, "follow your heart. Shut your mind out and just do what your heart tells you. That is all I ask."

Not knowing how to respond, Temari nodded to Ino, and turned around, walking into the building.

"Please" Ino said one last time, her voice shaking as she tried to stop crying.

Temari looked back and blinked, "congratulations on the baby" she said.

Ino looked up at her and gave a small, hazy smile through her tears. "We are getting married next week."

"Good luck" she said softly, turning and walking away.

* * *

Temari sat at the table, her head angled sideways.

_Follow your heart._

What a silly thing to say.

Temari's heart was caught. He felt so good, and yet he hurt so much.

"Ah, shit" she whispered, "what am I doing."

"Drinking your cares away" Gaara said, leaning back in his chair. "Speaking of, maybe you should stop."

Temari pulled her glass out of his hand. "No."

"Fine" he said, fixing his cuff links, "maybe losing this much inhibition is good. Maybe you will figure out how to get over it, it has been long enough."

She sat straighter and looked at him, "you know a way to make her go away?"

"_You_ know a way." He place a hand on her shoulder, "it is late, I should leave. See you later, okay?"

"Sure" she said, giving him a small smile and then downing the rest of her glass.

0000

It was late, but he wasn't asleep. Instead he sat on his couch, suit still on, and bottle in his hands. He had been there the better part of the night, caught between sitting in aching silence for hours, drinking, and the occasionally sobbing.

But not long after midnight, she had knocked on his door, calling loudly.

"Is this where you moved, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru's head shot up. He dashed to the door in record time. "Temari, is that you?" And then: "Are you drunk?" As she rattled on.

"I saw Neji-kun! He said you were here. I can't believe you moved! You had such a nice, big place. I think I have never seen a finer kitchen in an apartment. Oh that kitchen. Mmm, remember when you cooked for me for the first time. All my favorites. It was soooo good, and then we did it on the sink after we ate. Oh, Shika, it was _magical."_

Sobering himself, he pulled her in immediately.

"Oh, Shika" she said, draping her arms around his neck and grinning between her tears. "you _do_ live here." She noted, moving her eyes around his apartment.

"Temari what are you doing here?" Shikamaru demanded, holding her as she slowly slumped.

She looked back at him and put on a sad face. "_Well_, when you left me, I was so upset. I couldn't stop thinking about you, Shika. And then I began to drink, and I decided that I don't care if I regret it. Did you know, that the second you made me touch your hard-on, I became so turned on I didn't know what to do with myself. And I just love you so much, and you walked away, and it made me really sad. Please, Shika, say you will. Please. I don't care if you slept with Ino! You don't even remember it! Plus now every time I see her, you will only see him. That is fair, right? Now we are even."

Confused and stunned, yet angry, and out of control in his own movements, Shikamaru didn't think twice. The second she gave him the okay, he brought his mouth to hers.

And the second after that, he was holding a limp, unconscious girl in his hands.

* * *

Around dawn she awoke. Temari blinked her eye, and moved to bring a hand to her throbbing head only to realize that she couldn't move. She knew why immediately. What she didn't know was how she had gotten there. She knew the who, she knew the why, but she didn't know the how.

But for that instant she didn't question. Instead, she shut her eyes and nestled back into Shikamaru's arms. As she nuzzled him, he squeezed her tighter, wrapping a leg over hers in a possessive grip.

She fell asleep to his paced heartbeat.

* * *

Temari woke again to the smell of coffee. She inhaled, trying to grab more of the luscious scent. Finally, she blinked. This wasn't her room. She scanned her head around wildly. This was not her hotel.

She slowly got out of bed, being careful not make any noise. She looked down to see a long, uncomfortable black dress hanging on to her body. Then she remembered the party.

And she remembered seeing Shikamaru.

And she remembered him leaving. And then her drinking. And she remembered the sex in the bathroom. And finally she recalled waking up that morning cradled in Shikamaru's arms.

Acutely aware of the fact that she had just royally screwed up her life more than it already was, Temari sighed.

Was it Gaara's fault? After all, he had given her the idea. Well, hinted at it.

Or maybe, Gaara was right. Maybe this would make up for it.

Temari walked over to Shikamaru's closet and pulled out a pair of his boxers- which made her smile slightly, since he had taken to going commando in their late teens- and a pajama shirt. She unzipped her dress slowly, letting the cotton slide over her warm body languidly before pulling on his clothes.

This meant, to her, that maybe this would work out. Because suddenly, she didn't care if she thought about Ino and Shikamaru, since he would just be feeling it so much worse.

Temari didn't know how to explain this logic. She didn't know how to explain this relief. Suddenly, it was all okay.

Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to make up with Shikamaru. She might regret seeing his infidelity flash before her eyes constantly, and it would hurt her, but suddenly she didn't really care.

Maybe it was because she felt so disgusting. Guilty? No.

Just sick.

She felt…wrong. She felt like being touched by someone else was just bad. It just didn't feel right. Which only further urged her to make up with him.

Temari stepped out of the bedroom to where Shikamaru stood in the kitchen, cooking.

"Good morning" she said, walking forward. She pulled out a chair and sat at the dining table.

Shikamaru looked up quickly, eyeing her for a second before going back to whatever was sizzling on the stove. "Afternoon" he corrected.

"Ah" Temari said, crossing her legs and resting her chin in her hand..

Shikamaru waited, but she didn't say anything else.

In confusion, her turned off the stove and came around his island counter to where she sat. Temari looked up at him as he sat on the table next to her.

"What happened?" He asked seriously, in that low tone he used when trying to control himself.

Temari blinked twice before putting a warm hand on his knee, "I came back."

"Yes, I can see that" he said, moving her hand away, "why?"

"What?" her eyes opened wide in mock surprise, "do you not want me anymore?"

Shikamaru leaned closer, "this isn't a game" he hissed into her ear.

"No" she agreed, pulling away from him slightly, "it never was."

He didn't give any response, so she continued, "you left me." She said.

Shikamaru frowned slightly, "you asked me to."

"I didn't want you to."

Shikamaru stood up, "what do you mean? You begged me to leave you, you told me you would regret if we slept together again. You said I would hurt you!"

"I do regret it! It does hurt me! But that doesn't mean I wanted you to leave. God, Shika. I don't know what I wanted. I still don't know. I want you so badly it hurts, but whenever I am with you it is so painful for me."

"Well which is harder to live without, Temari? Me? Or the pain? Because you can't do this to me, you have to choose."

There was a pause before Temari got up to face him, "I did choose."

He threw up his hands and stiffened, "so you chose me? Is that it? Is it over now?"

Temari shook her head. And in that instant everything changed.

She was with Shikamaru, she was sitting with Shikamaru. And no thoughts passed through her head about _anyone _else.

Had she known sleeping with someone else, making it fair between her and Shikamaru would make the images of Ino go away; well… she would have done it nine months ago.

But suddenly nervous, she decided against telling him. She had planned to. Planned to make him hurt as badly as she did. She had wanted to show him. Wanted him to know. She had wanted it to be fair, because if he left her for fucking another man… well that wasn't fair if she had come back after he fucked Ino.

She had wanted him to feel the pain.

But now, she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring the words to her mouth. She tried, she did. But nothing happened.

Should she tell him that she had had someone else coming at her from behind, not two hours after he left her in an alley, the same night she had come back to him? Well, Iruka Umino would probably want her to keep her mouth shut.

But she could care less about him.

As her mind raced, deciding what to do next, she had forgotten all about Shikamaru's question. And in that moment when she didn't answer, he turned around and punched the wall, plaster and wood flying everywhere.

Temari ducked as she was hit in the head by multiple wood chips.

Neither of them said a word for almost a minute. Until finally Shikamaru turned back to her and brushed off his clothes.

"Shikamaru Nara" Temari said slowly, sticking out a hand for him to help her up, "I want you."

Shikamaru lurched and grabbed Temari by the collar, pulling her up to him.

She watched his eyes as he stared lustfully as her. It amazed even him how quickly his anger could turn into need. But he couldn't help it. He wanted, no _needed_ her too. He had to remind her, to prove that he _was _the right choice. He had to show her that he still loved her. He had to prove that he was furious. He had to remind how no one was as good as him, that no one could care about her the way he did, or could make her come as hard as he did.

He had to show her.

Tentatively, Temari brought her lips to his. It was only meant to be a brush, but the moment they touched, Shikamaru had his hand on her neck, bringing her mouth closer to his, angling his head to the side the further deepen the kiss.

As she gasped in suspended surprise, he used the instant to ram his tongue into her mouth rather un-smoothly.

He kissed her, raping her mouth harder than she remembered him capable of. His rough tongue reeled against hers, touching every part of her mouth he could. It was sloppy, and it was messy, and it was…hot.

Shikamaru pushed her into the nearby wall, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand, the other holding her head as close to him as possible.

Temari growled into his mouth as his tongue raged with hers, his lips leaving her mouth feeling wet and raw. She bit his lip accidentally, but this only urged him on.

It had been too long. Too long since she had felt like this.

He let go of her wrists and pulled furiously at the tee-shirt of his she had worn. He had forgotten how much he liked to see her in his clothes. To be reminded that she belonged to him.

Temari hissed, grabbing his back and holding his body tight against her. She had missed the feeling of his hard torso pressed against her breasts, his hips digging into her lower stomach. She had forgotten what exactly his mouth tasted like. She had forgotten the passion he had as they kissed, the way his face would heat up, the way his lips moved forcefully.

She remembered kissing him for the first time, and their slow progression of learning how to kiss each other perfectly after that. She remembered how amazed she was that he would heat up like that, so amazed the lazy kid she had known could kiss her with all the ferocity of a moving train.

God, he was a good kisser.

He tasted her, touched her, ravaged her until there was nothing in her mind save Shikamaru. She lost her senses feeling him, being with him.

When the need for air became too great to handle, Shikamaru pulled back, panting.

"I swear, woman…" he said in between his heavy breaths. "You are _never_ leaving me again."

Temari grinned.

And for the second time, in a long time, the the image of a naked Ino Yamanaka did not pass her mind.

And with that, Shikamaru clawed even more furiously at her shirt, finally managing to get it over her head as she just stood there, in some sort of trance, waiting for him to finish.

It took him a second to move again as he stopped to examine her breasts. The last time he had seen them- discounting the one nude photograph of her he had saved from their youth- was much too long ago.

He examined her, touching her soft, warm shoulder as a blush spread over her face. He touched the hollow of her neck and ran his fingers slowly down her chest, in between her breasts before finally touching them.

"Ah, Sh-Shika" the moaned, throwing her head back forcefully.

Her nipples were already harder than he remembered them being, and they were fuller too, with the weight she had gained.

Shikamaru's breath hitched as he finally leaned forward to kiss her again before slowly making his way down to her chest in open mouthed kisses, his tongue searing marks onto her skin. As he slowly latched himself on her right breast, she finally reached down to her hips and slowly began pulling down the boxers.

Seeing what she was doing, Shikamaru latched his fingers inside the waistband and pulled the bottoms down, helping her step out of them.

Temari pulled him away from her chest and brought his face up to hers, pressing her body into his. "You are going much too slowly" she whispered against his ear, flicking her tongue out to lick his lobe through the hoop of his earring, "We can do that later, now I just need _you_." She said.

Shikamaru smiled against her.

Temari arched her back into him, trying to touch every part of her body against his. Shikamaru turned them around in a quick movement and pulled them down, landing on her with a thump as he forgot to catch himself.

Temari grunted, but quickly forgot the momentary pain as he sat up and pulled off his shirt and worn pants. She wore the biggest, stupidest grin a woman could wear as she watched him struggle to undress in record time.

Ino hadn't been kidding about him living on the borderline of life and death Temari noted, seeing the new scars that covered his body. The worst one looked to be about a few centimeters thick and ran from the top of his left hip up and over to the juncture of where his rib cages met below his chest.

"Oh," Temari breathed watching him. He stopped after his shirt was off and looked back at her.

Shikamaru's brows creased until he realized she was seeing his scars for the first time. "Yeah," he said, "it's been a pretty bad few months."

In response, Temari only stretched her arms above her head and bent her legs up in a hook position before slowly spreading them, "come here" she said huskily.

Her previous worry at seeing his scars faltered as he pulled off his tented pants.

She had honestly thought it was not possible to miss a body part so much.

Grinning cockily at her expression, Shikamaru kneeled, grabbing her hips to pull her closer. Temari smiled inwardly at how impossibly hard he had become, showing only how much he had missed her.

Shikamaru moved to lie on top of her, feeling how incredibly wet she was as she raised her hips to grind into him.

Temari watched his face as he loomed over her, shaking with anticipation. They stayed like that for a few minutes, basking in the relief of being together again. Her legs locked around him as he touched her, keeping him as close as possible.

Had she seriously considered giving this all up?

"Make love to me, Shikamaru" she whispered, watching for the reaction in his eyes to her words. She wanted to see them light up, to see the passion only grow, if that were possible. It was.

Shikamaru only watched her as he grabbed his cock and rolled it over her wet folds. As he was about to push in, he stopped, struggling to hold his hips back from thrusting against her.

"Do you know how completely troublesome you are?" He asked, smiling.

Temari grabbed his shoulders and scraped down, mouth open, begging for it. "Oh, shut the fuck up."

"We're getting married, you know that right?" He said, still grinning.

"Shika!" She demanded opening her eyes.

"Oh, fine" he mumbled jokingly before plunging in.

* * *

ENJOY.

**REVIEW. **

back to normal drabbles now. but if i get good feedback i might try a story arc again later on.

thanks..

-Lollipop

**AND REVIEW**


	8. The Game, Part I

"Admit it." He said, leaning against the headboard.

"No, I have nothing to admit."

"Just say it, Mari."

"Say what?" She asked nonchalantly.

"How you feel about me."

She brought a finger to her lips and pouted slightly, flicking her tongue over her teeth, "well" she began, "I find that I am attracted to you for various reasons. To start with, you are the laziest sonuvabitch I've ever had the _immense_ pleasure of knowing. Also, you are by far the most intelligent sonuvabitch I've ever met. Together, for some reason I am unaware of, this makes you incredibly appealing to me. You know, besides the fact that you could double as a model and are wicked in bed."

He smiled at this, "Sso you do love me?"

Temari scoffed, "I didn't say that."

"You implied it," Shikamaru muttered, reaching over to the bedside table and putting out his cigarette. Temari raised her eyebrows.

He continued, "I quote: 'make me fall madly in love with you' or something along those lines. Remember?"

"That was four months ago!" She snapped. "I thought we agreed to never mention that night."

Shikamaru frowned, "but I said it last week."

Crossing her arms, Temari leaned her head back against the headboard, sighing. "I remember."

"Well now it is your turn."

"How about this" she said, "I will say it when I feel it."

"So," he prodded, upset she was keeping the covers wrapped tightly around her chest, "But there is nothing to be embarrassed about now, Mari. I said it first."

She rolled her eyes, "embarrassed? I don't think that's it, Shikamaru. I am pretty sure it is more because of that fact that I am not in love with you."

"Bullshit."

She huffed, annoyed, but she didn't respond.

Shikamaru turned his head and looked at her. "I love you, Temari," he said, leaning over to kiss her temple.

"Congratulations."

"I love you too, Shikamaru," he whispered, pulling away from her and holding his breath. She didn't echo his words.

Instead she replied in that same bored tone, "but I don't."

"Just say it."

"And lie?"

"Ugh" he huffed, "are you seriously going to make this that difficult?"

"I thought I was making it clear and simple."

"Okay then, Temari" Shikamaru said, his quite ease going away to add bravado into his growing voice, "I am now withholding sex from you _until_ you admit that you do, in fact, love me."

Temari turned to look at him, blinking before she began to laugh. "Yeah, right."

"What?" He said slowly, "You don't think I can do it?"

"No" she said, "frankly, I don't."

Shikamaru grew angry. He was so going to win this. Yes, maybe Temari had him whipped in many things, but this he could do. She did love him, and she needed to admit it. There was no way she could go without her usual multiple orgasms for too long. No, this was looking in his favour.

"Well, we will see about that." He said, "Really, Mari, I've gone months without getting laid when you are gone."

She smirked, "Then. Now I see you often. Regardless, you spent those months lonely and getting off by yourself. But you can't do that anymore, can you?"

"Excuse me?" Shikamaru asked, frowning. He liked when she was so vulgar with her language, but only when she was talking about what they were going to do, _together._

Her smirk grew "when was the last time you came outside of me? Don't give me that look, Shikamaru. Just give this up. I won't give in, and in the end you will only be withholding this immense pleasure from both us which is just a huge waste of time and effort for you."

"Just you wait" he said, "We will be celibate for as long as this takes. And I've added more. When you finally cave, you have to not _only_ admit that you love me, but you must confess how much you miss the completion of me inside you." Vulgar. He could do it too.

"Completion?" She scoffed for a second time, "be careful your head doesn't swell so much you can't walk through the door."

And then: "What do I get when you cave."

He was silent for a moment, thinking in the way only Shikamaru can. "_I _won't cave. And you get nothing. This isn't a game, this is me withholding until you admit it."

"This has suddenly gotten interesting," she said, patting his thigh.

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to smirk. "I give it two weeks." He said, "and after that you will fall on your knees, madly in love with me, and begging me to fuck you." Her fingers tightened on his leg, making Shikamaru smile. He leaned over and whispered slyly in her ear: "Should we start now? Or tomorrow?"

"Well" Temari said, letting the blanket fall off her chest, "I didn't get a hotel room, so I am spending the night here."

"So later then" Shikamaru mumbled, reaching out a hand to brush his fingertips over her right nipple. He felt it become harder immediately.

Temari smiled to herself as he turned off the lamp and pushed her to lie down, rolling on top of her. She bit back a moan as he kissed her neck and began to spread her legs with his knee.

"Actually" Temari said when his fingers began making their way down, "I think we should start now."

Shikamaru snapped his head up, eyes wide. "You're fucking kidding me?"

She smiled up at him, shifting to turn on the lamp again, moving her other hand down to cup his balls. "Giving in that quickly, Shika?"

He growled, suddenly frighteningly angry, as he moved off her. "No. I'm going to sleep."

Yet again, he turned off the light, only to have her turn it on again. "I'm not tired," she taunted, kicking the covers off her heated body, "horny, really."

"Ah, shit" he muttered, bringing his hands to his eyes. He knew where this was going.

"And I know you remember quite well, Shika, how good I am at getting myself off."

As Temari lowered her hand and began touching herself, Shikamaru watched her lustfully, and possibly jealously, as he stood up and grabbed his pillows. He snapped out of it and shook his head, "Christ, Temari. I'm sleeping on the couch."

Although he knew she had heard him, she didn't give any inclination at this, instead hitching her legs into a hook position and shutting her eyes, moaning "oh...oh, Shikamaru!"

He threw up his hands, pillows and all, and walked out of the room.

He was pissed.

Pissed because he suddenly doubted how long he could keep this up for. Pissed because she was in there doing to herself what should only be done by him. And pissed because he wanted her to do it.

He didn't want her to sacrifice an orgasm just because he wasn't there; in the end he really wanted her to feel good. He wanted her to be happy, because it was true, as he had recently come to realize- he really did love her. And that meant wanting her to be happy.

And that fucking pissed him off.


	9. Growing Up

A/N: a few things.

1. I really wanted to write a continuation of the last chapter. So, I kept trying but was unable to come up with anything I liked. Then finally, I decided to screw it, and last night in my homework procrastination- I wrote this. Short, sweet. Enjoy.

2. I wrote my first work on under the same name, check it out, you may like it? At least, I hope you do.

3. I have my first poll. Which character pairing from Naruto should I use for my first one-shot? Each one will probably be M, with some back story. Not a few moments, but a brief look on how their relationship develops. Each pair's story is an excerpt from this story [They Are Good at Many Things], so if you read these chapters, it might make more sense.

4. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewd, esp. Jezzi1996 for choosing a great day to read the story. When you have a shit day, and come home to find someone has left a review, it just brightens you. Especially when that day was god awful.

5. review. please.

* * *

Temari woke up cold, the blankets being pushed off her body. The windows in their apartment had been left open due to the overwhelming heat, no one had anticipated the pouring rain that night and well into the morning.

Shivering, Temari felt a sheet be pulled around her and tucked in at edges. She snuggled down a bit, sighing with a tired, frigid relief. It wasn't until she realized her shirt had pulled up to her breast did she sit up in a panicked frenzy. But Shikamaru was not in the room with her. Had he noticed anything? She looked down. No, there was nothing to see. She was being paranoid.

She took a breath and calmed down. It was too early in the morning to be tense. The bathroom door opened, steam pillowing out. She remembered when she had first seen him in this new apartment. It had been after they broke up, when they got back together. He had begun smoking again, and for a few months around that time, she would see him emerge from the shower always dangling a cigarette from those talented lips.

She suddenly craved a smoke. Had that ever happened before?

Temari shook her head. She had to concentrate. She had promised, promised herself that she would tell him. She shouldn't prolong it any longer, though she knew how fearful of commitment he could be.

How would she tell him? Should she? Maybe he knew, that's why he didn't wake her up? Maybe he was scared, or upset? Maybe it was talk before, and now that it is really happening, he is going to run off? If he didn't now, he was sure too. Temari had heard of many women who lost lovers during this time.

She stopped herself. She wouldn't lose him. But he wouldn't be good, he would change. He would work all day just to avoid the home. Or worse, he would love his godson more. Honestly, how could he love anyone more than his godson? Temari _barely _passed. Thanks, Asuma, thanks a lot.

She cursed herself. She knew he loved her. She was going crazy, she needed to think of something else.

Shikamaru walked over to the bed, rubbing his wet hair in what was obviously an already damp towel; and in that instant, she had found her source of procrastination.

"Morning" he said, turning to his dresser to find his clothes. She watched the way his back arched slightly as he shook out his head. She had spent years memorizing those muscles, and yet- it never seemed to be enough. She was never content to simply look at them.

Her hand smoothed out the pale blue sheet, as she sighed. "It _is _a good morning." Temari said, voice low with seduction.

He turned around, his head angled. "I'm late, Mari. But I'll be back for lunch."

She huffed, "isn't today important?"

"It's the first day since break."

Her brows raised.

A grin spread over his face as he stepped toward the edge of the bed, "I had thought you were sleeping."

"Well now" she kneeled on the bed, running her hands over his shoulders, "we wouldn't want to ruin a tradition."

It amazed her, that in the few seconds since he had come into the room, he had already made her calm down, made her focus her thoughts into one clear idea. She would put it off for now, but she would walk him to work and tell him later. After all, today was the day.

He leaned forward, bringing his lips a few fingers away from hers so she could feel the heat of his breath, "a perfectly good tradition, if you ask me." He said, catching her chin in his hand and forcing her already open mouth to his.

He pushed her down, getting on top of her as she ground herself into him. "No one did" she whispered as he made his way down her jaw.

* * *

She stopped on the street, watching a very flattering Sakura drop her son off at the academy. He must have been the appropriate age, Temari guessed, which then only made her feel old. She was young compared to some, but then wouldn't she always be? Here was Sakura, a few years younger, and already living a life. The leaf ninja flipped her long hair subconsciously, watching her son with tears in her eyes. A few seconds later she was joined by her boyfriend of almost half a decade, her lover of over two. And of course he looked good as ever.

That was an interesting story, Temari thought, tempted to talk it over again with Shikamaru. They had never had such a tumbling relationship as the Uchiha's. There was no adultery, or love triangles: no real jeopardy. Well, except for that one break up almost two years ago. That was well… bad is putting it easily.

But there was no epic tale, no cinematic romance.

They ended up happy though, Temari noticed, as she tilted her head, watching them observantly.

"Mari" he brushed against her, "I've got to go to work, what was it you wanted to say?"

She turned toward Shikamaru, crossing her arms over her chest. This was definitely not the place to do it, the timing was so inappropriate, so wrong- it was perfect. She might have resorted to accepting his proposal, even though no wedding had been planned in their twenty three months of engagement, but she did still love to torture him; to see that cool, lazy, almost stoic face of his fall open in shock. It happened very rarely, when he was completely off guard, and it wasn't something he looked forward to repeating, though the same could not be said about her.

But of course, Temari forgot all about this while watching Sakura's easy grace, and the way Sasuke was watching her out of the corner of his eye. Now her mind was preoccupied, wondering if Shikamaru would look at her the way Uchiha was looking at his girlfriend.

Oddly self-conscious, Temari grasped Shikamaru's hand as he turned to leave, not caring that she had ignored him a moment ago. "Wait."

He glanced down at his arm and frowned, running his eyes up to hers, letting them rest for a moment on her collarbone. He had a thing about necks, and as often as he saw her neck bare, it was different when she wore a low collard dress, taunting.

"Is everything okay?" He said softly, searching her eyes.

"Am I still attractive to you?" Temari asked softly, completely out of the blue. It even took Shikamaru a moment to answer, as he had to examine her face first to be sure it really was her and not Naruto playing one of his tricks.

"You are serious" Shikamaru said a moment later, continuing to look her over.

Confusion passed over her face "I mean, if you saw me on the street, and you didn't know me, would you still want to fuck me?"

"Well it wasn't exactly your charming personality that got me in your bed in the first place, is it? Now, I have to go to class, I'll meet you for lunch."

"Now, I mean. Am I still attractive _now._"

He frowned again, not answering, so she continued, "will you look at me like that?" She motioned to where Sasuke was standing a few yards away, no doubt overhearing the conversation because his eyes immediately left Sakura and began to look elsewhere, embarrassed he'd been caught.

"Like a predator?" Shikamaru asked, Sasuke stiffened.

"No, like you love me."

"I do love you."

"When I'm fat, because that sure changes it."

He laughed, "somehow I doubt you'll ever get fat. People who only eat healthy food tend to not become overweight."

"Oh, about that" she remembered what she had come here for. It wasn't everyday that Temari walked her fiancé to work. "I'm pregnant" she put a hand on her stomach.

A moment of pause, and surely enough, his jaw hung open. She wholly enjoyed the sight.

"How did that happen?"

Embarrassed by her sudden hormonal outburst, she angled her head sideways. Sasuke and Sakura were walking down the street now, not touching.

"Well, you forgot to use protection."

"What? I haven't worn a condom in years." He said, the surprise beginning to where off.

She sighed, crossing her arms again. "Fine then, I forgot my pill. Happy now, it's my fault?"

He paused, then a laugh, "well…finally, Mari. After all, it's been ten years."

"You haven't worn a condom in ten years?"

"I meant: you're pregnant, finally."

"'Finally?' You do realize that I'm keeping it, don't you?"

He nodded.

"Then why the stupid grin on your face? Cut it out, Shikamaru, I'm serious. I'm keeping it."

"Good. You don't want another abortion, do you?"

She blushed, remembering the event that had started her on the pill in the first place. Speaking of, she hadn't actually ever told him that she had been carrying, but it didn't surprise her he had known. She didn't press the matter, shaking her head, a smile pushing onto the corners of her lips.

"Well then" he said, straightening his teaching uniform, "how much longer will we be able to fuck?"

She frowned, "maybe all of it." Then she snapped straighter. "Hey, what does that matter anyways? Christ, can't you think of anything else?"

"I think about a lot of other things" he stated, though it was unneeded. She knew his mind was racing all the time, more so than anyone.

_I don't_, she was tempted to say, but didn't. He didn't need to know that.

* * *

Short, sweet, to the point. I'll post another one ASAP. Sometime this week.

**And vote. **


	10. Sixteenth Birthday

Vote in my poll now, because I am shutting it and posting the piece (depending on the winners, I've written one for each) within the next few days.

I want to get more input-** SO VOTE NOW! **

* * *

She took his hands, lacing their fingers together. The gesture was oddly intimate, and not necessarily the good kind- but he didn't seem to mind. "Do you know what day it is?" She taunted, pressing herself flush against him. Temari then managed to lean forward and up just enough to stick out her tongue and lick his lips quickly before he could try to kiss her.

He licked his lips a second later, feeling the moisture there. "Is it significant?" He wasn't surprised she had remembered. She was good with things like that.

Pulling him down by his hands, she kissed him full on the mouth, keeping her lips shut. Shikamaru responded, gripping her hands tightly and angling his head, but she pulled away too quickly for anything to happen.

"I can make it significant" she said easily, adding seduction into her voice.

"Are you offering me something I've already taken?"

"Three times last night? No" she smiled, leaning her forehead against his "Something much better, trust me."

He pressed himself into her even harder, kissing her again, making her think twice about leaving her hotel. He was fine staying in all day.

"Stop, Shika. Not this." She panted slightly, pulling her mouth away from him. The change in his eyes showed that he was confused. What else could she have in mind? It wasn't exactly as though he enjoyed much else. Especially with her.

He looked at her; something else was playing in Temari's mind. Last year she had given him two belated gifts seeing as she was in Suna until a few months afterwards. At first, she had done all the work he had been assigned for the next five weeks, and in addition, she had worn lingerie- something that rarely happened. He smiled now, remembered the way the patent leather had enclosed her body almost a year ago. Now that was a good night.

"We are going out" Temari said, letting go of him and heading into the bathroom.

"Out?"

"Choose a movie" she called, the sink running.

Shikamaru scratched his head. They had never gone to the cinema before- that was for couples. They weren't even friends.

"The movies?" He said slowly, "Temari, I don't know what-"

"Ha, don't get antsy, Shikamaru, it's just a movie. I bet Choji and Ino go to the movies all the time."

Well, she was right, but Choji had a crush on Ino- so that didn't really count. Besides, Shikamaru and Temari weren't teammates. Either way, going to see a film wasn't exactly 'something better'.

"Did you decide?" Temari asked, coming out, looking a little more acceptable.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorway. He was still young then, not old enough to have grown out of his awkward teen years. At least he wasn't skinnier than her anymore.

Deciding not to get into it with her, he followed her out. "I think there is something I will want to see."

She turned her head, corners of her mouth twitching with the urge to grin stupidly. "You might want to choose something you don't really care about, trust me."

"You're asking me a lot of that this morning."

"Oh, just shut up you stupid kid."

Shikamaru took this as a good sign, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

They walked side by side, over a foot apart, down the street. They didn't speak as Temari kept her face forward, silent determination in her features. He glanced at her every now then, paying rapt attention to her reflection as they passed windows. She had turned nineteen a month before, and he couldn't help but notice the changes in her face since then.

She was older, kinder, and perhaps wiser. She had always been the slightly more dominate one in their relationship. After all, she was a few years older. He knew for a fact that she was a virgin when they first slept together, there had been the blood to prove it. Yet, she always seemed more advanced in the art of sex, telling him what to do when he had begun as an inexperienced child.

Shikamaru frowned slightly. He was not even fourteen when they began this affair. Maybe she just knew these things because she was older. Or maybe she read about them in magazines, or those porn books Jiraiya wrote. He smiled to himself, imagining Temari getting off to a porn magazine. Correction: erotic novel.

He had asked her about it once, asking why and how she knew so much about what a man wants, or where to touch a woman. She had just looked at him as if he were asking the silliest question in the world, and then she had laughed, telling him he was smart enough to figure that out.

He didn't quite believe she was looking at porn though. That wasn't like Temari.

Anyways, she was more dominate in the fact that she told him what to do, and for the most part- he did it. But that was to avoid a fight, he wasn't exactly scared of her. She didn't _dominate _him, she just demanded more from him; that was all.

She was much kinder these days too. .

It was true, though they got along only half the time, and all their arguing was mostly playful jabs, she had been unusually sweeter these past few months- a lot less… selfish.

"What are smiling about?" She quipped, turning a corner.

He dropped the corners of his mouth, "Nothing" he said, "just wondering why you insist on taking me somewhere I won't even like. What a pain."

"Shika!" She snapped, "I _told _you, it is going to be much better than whatever you have in mind, so just shut the fuck up and enjoy it."

Shikamaru shut his mouth, taking larger steps for a second to catch up to her. Whatever it was, Temari was sure excited. He could see the anxiousness lined in her face. He could complain all he wanted for now, but he knew that whatever it was she had been planning- it was going to be pretty damn good. She didn't often get this happy.

* * *

The theater was practically empty. It was a Tuesday, around noon. She hadn't expected it to be crowded. The amount of people there, which happened to be four, was perfect. It added to the danger element without creating much of a chance of being caught.

Temari insisted he buy water for himself, nothing for her, and that they sit in the very back row, where no one was bound to look.

The lights dimmed, the movie began- a romantic comedy, something boring to the both of them- and then she rested her hand on his thigh.

Shikamaru had speculated this idea. Maybe she would have sex with him in the theater. He could easily see Temari doing something as crazy as sitting on his lap in the dark room. But he would rather have sex back in her hotel –his parents were home- where they could be as loud as they wanted, though they never really were, and could do multiple positions. Plus, it would be a lot more sanitary in her bed. Or maybe on the table, the wall in the living room, even the kitchen sink..

She squeezed his thigh, bringing him out of his thoughts. Shikamaru sighed softly, feeling her strong hand begin to stroke his leg, her finger nails scratching along his inner thigh every now and then.

The movement got him hot, but not uncomfortable. There was no raging hard-on needing to be released. No, he was content. Turned on, and content.

Temari could sense this, and as the movie finally began to roll, the leaned her head over to lie on Shikamaru's shoulders, her hand never stopping its movement.

Happy, Shikamaru kissed her forehead. He might even enjoy this movie slightly if she didn't move throughout it. She did though, a moment later, though much to his pleasure.

Temari turned her head, her hand suddenly higher than it had before, tracing a small circle around the bulge in his pants. His breath hitched, and she turned her face to look up at him. "Shikamaru," she whispered hotly, "I" she finally put her palm against where she knew the tip of his penis was, "want" she pressed down firmly, eliciting a tight breath from him, "you." And with that, she began to kiss him senseless.

Hey, if she was horny, he could deal with that.

Their lips moved together in a practiced motion, the heat so unbearable, Temari had to pull away for a second, though she never stopped rubbing him through his pants.

Shikamaru panted, throwing his head back against the chair as he tried to even his breath so as not to moan aloud.

After a second of regaining her composure, Temari kissed him again, this time opening her mouth to feel his tongue encase hers. The slickness, the wetness, the heat was incomparable to anything else. Kissing Shikamaru was a high for her. Even kisses like this, where there was no moaning, or any sex- they still made her weak in the knees.

But then Temari, however reluctantly, pulled away again.

"Not yet, Shika" she said, grabbing his knee and squeezing it. "Your present starts in one minute and ends sometime tomorrow morning." She whispered, leaning close.

Shikamaru, his lips wet and mouth watering, turned to stare at her in the dark surrounding of the theater. She looked back at him, eyes innocently wide before she kissed him again, this time keeping her mouth shut.

As he tried to deepen the kiss, she wouldn't let him; but she did get up out of her seat, kneeling between his knees. When he realized she had re-positioned herself around him, he grabbed her face in his hands, pulling it up. "Where are you going, Temari?" He whispered, licking her ear.

She just gave an almost inaudible laugh, "I'm staying right here. Now, take a sip of the water so your throat won't dry out."

"My throat won't wha-" he was cut off trying to suppress his moan as she had undone his zipper and had grabbed his shaft, squeezing slightly. Okay, so maybe a hand job wasn't exactly best done in a movie theater, but Temari didn't seem to mind. Actually, she was the one who demanded that they come here.

Temari began stroking up and down, watching his face as she did so. He had the same pained expression, trying his best to stay silent.

Shikamaru breathed deeply, trying to keep a steady pace. If he thought about what was going on, of what she was doing to him right now- well there was no way he was going to be able to keep his mouth shut.

Already, an elder woman had turned to look at him. At that point, Temari had taken it a step further and taken him into her mouth. The instant he felt the moisture on his skin, he had gasped louder than intended.

She woman had only shushed him with her finger, and he tried his best to oblige- but Temari was stroking him now, while simultaneously sucking him off. No, there was no way he was going to stay silent. His throat dried. Yes, the water was definitely needed.

Her knees ached already, and it had been what? Five minutes? She rolled her eyes, if she planned to continue throughout the showing, her knees would be in a lot more pain than they were now. Revel in it now, she thought, before retiring her attention to Shikamaru once again. She looked up at him now. He was sweating slightly, his brow pinched in frustration. She knew he liked it though. She knew he was loving it.

Shikamaru opened his eyes, concentrating on the screen. There was a blonde woman; she was in a hotel room, watching outside the window as sad music played. The movie wasn't even halfway over and it was already depressing. Maybe if he concentrated on that…

Her hand began pumping up and down quicker than before. A spasm rocked his body, and he pushed her back into the seat in front of them slightly, but she never took her lips off of him.

Without thinking, Shikamaru grabbed her hair, pulling her away swiftly. Temari's head hit the back of the seat, her neck suffering from the unexpected whiplash. Her face no more than a foot away from his, he looked at her, lips red and used, plump. Her eyes brimming with the tears he caused when he hit the back of the throat. She was smiling almost sadistically.

"What are you doing, Temari?" He whispered harshly, earning another shush from the old woman a few rows in front. He almost wanted to yell at her, telling her exactly why he was being loud, but then that would ruin it. Instead, he concentrated on Temari and she reached up and grabbed his face.

"Shika" she whispered, kissing him with much fervor. He could taste himself on her, slightly disgusting him. But he continued to kiss her, because nothing could disgust him enough to pry his lips form hers, their mouths in perfect tandem.

While they kissed, she grabbed his cock again, continuing to stroke it until he pinched her, warning her that he was going to come. Now was not the time, not the place. But instead of stopping what her hand was doing, she stopped kissing him, biting his lower lip as she pulled away, and began to suck him off again.

Only this time, she pinned his hands onto the seat, making sure he didn't pull her away. Without the strength to fight her, or the will, he suddenly shook, biting his tongue hard enough to taste blood, just so the sound wouldn't come out. Temari swallowed, impressively. She wasn't normally able to take it all in.

Half angry with her, Shikamaru finally freed his hands easily, and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up to him. "Jesus, Temari." He breathed, "What the hell was that?"

She smiled and put her hands on his chest, the padding of his vest soft on her palms. "The beginning of your present."

"Here?" he asked, rolling his shoulders back. "I couldn't nearly enjoy it as much as I could have had we been in private."

"Yes" she whispered, sitting down in her own seat while he zipped his pants. "But now, whenever you come to the movies, you will think about this."

"So your gift will continue to haunt me every time I come to see a movie."

She smiles broader, "that would be the idea."

"Troublesome woman" he said, leaning back against the chair.

She furrowed her eye brows, "hey, I am doing something nice for you. You could at least be grateful."

"Something nice?" He shut his eyes, "You've given me head before."

"Yeah?" She quipped, "not sixteen times in a row."

He paused, opened his eyes, blinked, sat up, turned, "what?"

She smacked his leg playfully, not looking at him as she began to stroke his thigh for the second time that hour. Instead of answering, she leaned forward.

"Shikamaru" she breathed, coming out of the kiss.

"Hn" he said, short of breath.

"Happy sixteenth birthday."

And then she was on the ground again.

* * *

A few rows ahead of them, a young man turned, sitting on his knees to see a few spikes of blonde hair peeking up from inbetween a man's legs. The villager recognized the man as a shinobi, obviously a good one if you considered that he wore a flak jacket and was no older than eighteen, probably younger.

"Young love" the man said to himself, turning back to the movie.

* * *

In eighth grade, I had a health teacher who literally told us [girls] not to give a blow job. she said, 'it doesn't bring you any pleasure, so why do it?'

some trivia there.

**REVIEW.**


	11. A Second Chance

So my first excerpt from this came out! It is Sasuke and Sakura! **READ IT**. and review. please.

Oh, and they are young in this, and somewhat immature, keep it in mind.

* * *

She leaned back on her elbows. "Don't be stupid," she whispered loudly, a bird chirping while she paused, "it isn't anything I haven't seen before."

He paused and turned his head towards her. "Really?" He said in an almost mocking sort of way. She had seen them before, but not in the way she had implied.

"Have you ever read a magazine?" She said sarcastically, lips quickly losing the smile. "I'm serious though, come on."

He sighed slightly, obviously embarrassed, before slipping off his shirt. She hadn't thought he would be so self-conscious. Actually, she hadn't thought he would be like this at all. Although, he was skinnier than she was. He was young too. And for the first time, she wondered if that was an issue for him. But he was the one, after all, who had basically raped her in the first place. She hadn't intended to have sex with him. Not yet at least. But when he had come over a month ago, dropping by in Suna completely unannounced, he hadn't exactly asked her permission to finally take that step. She would have given it to him, and she didn't argue or anything, but that wasn't the point.

He shouldn't be acting so stupid right now, that was all.

She watched him silently as he undid his buckle with care. He was going awfully slowly, and she wasn't sure whether she enjoyed it or not. Last time it had been pretty fast. The undressing, not the sex itself. That had been slow, but not unbearably so. She played the scene over in her head.

She had been in a meeting, taking Gaara's place as he had just become the Kazekage and had yet picked anybody to take over his old business. In the meantime, Temari and Kankuro had done all they could- no one had imagined Gaara had worked so hard. He always seemed so pensive, but relaxed. Anyways, the meeting was interrupted- she was needed at home. Of course, little did she expect Shikamaru to be there. He wasn't one to come on his own, not unless the Hokage had demanded it. Nevertheless, here he was. In her kitchen. Discussing politics with Kankuro. And the moment her brother left them alone, Shikamaru's mouth was on hers. Pressing harder than usual. She was taken aback slightly; he wasn't one to initiate a kiss. That was always her job, and always when one of them was about to leave, never when they had just seen each other.

But there he was, pushing her to where he knew the closest guest bedroom was (hers was too far upstairs) and undoing her robe quickly. He hadn't gotten undressed, she hadn't either. As soon as they could, as in her underwear was around her ankles, and his pants around his knees, they were having sex. He went slowly at first, pausing before he knew he would hurt her. And although he hadn't exactly asked her permission, she had been the one to push him all the way in, regardless of the pain. She had felt worse, but she had never felt anything down there. There was no tolerance in that part of her body, so tearing, no matter how easily done and cared for, hurt a fucking hell of a lot. But he went slowly; he didn't speed up ever, or go hard on her. It was all soft and small, until finally she told him it was okay, nothing was going to happen to her, and he came. He just kept coming and coming, and it amazed her how she took it all without any hesitation.

She had hated it, until he kissed her again, and rolled off her, making her realize just how much she cared about him. How much she was attracted to him, and how much of a wonderful man he was. But then he left, the next day. She hadn't seen him since. Until Gaara had requested she go to Konoha. Now here she was. Initiating it all again. As if what had appeared to be a raging libido had all but disappeared. True, he had kissed her pretty hungrily when she had first pulled him into it, but still. Didn't boys always want to have sex, especially once they had already had it?

Standing there in his boxers, her stared at her. She was above the sheets already, legs pressed together to hide the wetness there. He knew, he had seen it before. But he wasn't going to call her out on it, or make a joke about how much she wanted him. He was still slightly uneasy about what had happened a month ago. He had never exactly treated women with respect, men were above them. That was pretty obvious. But no women deserved to be forced. No person did. And in his mind, he had forced her. She might have wanted it- but he had never asked, and that humiliated him. When he had heard she was coming, he was tempted to demand Tsunade assign someone else as her guide. He was filled with remorse, pity, and self-loathing. But the minute she came through those gates, she had made her intentions clear. It wasn't something she said -requesting ramen wasn't exactly a sign she was horny- it was the way in which she walked. The way her eyes lit up slightly, the corners of her lips pulled up into that smirk only he was familiar with. He knew it then. She was okay. Happy even.

And now, six hours later, they were sneaking past his parents, up to his bedroom, and making out on the bed.

He looked at her. The little bits of baby fat were beginning to melt away. Her breasts were larger than her remembered. Golden, her nipples perfectly round, hard, and pink. The soft muscles of her stomach, the roundness of thigh, the smoothness of her shoulder. And rather prominent collarbone. Her hair was out, the light golden coloring shined against the dark blue sheets. Her face was clean, void of any makeup, as it sometimes was. The small patch of curls between her legs glistened in the sunset peeking through the window.

Shikamaru blinked, sticking his thumbs in his waistband. Maybe he was too small? Were most men bigger? Did it matter? She had felt perfectly tight the first time, which was probably a good sign.

"Stop thinking, Shika" she said propping herself up on her elbows once again. "I want you." He angled his head. "I mean it," she continued, "I am here, lonely, and somewhat cold, and completely void of any clothing. Any man would do something about it quicker than you are. But I want you to do something about it. I want you."

He smirked slightly. "Temari" he said, pulling off his boxers smoothly, and laying them on the chair. She resisted looking down at his naked body, keeping her eyes on his. There would be time for that later. And he seemed so worried and anxious; she didn't want to make him even more nervous.

"What?" She asked, sitting up onto her knees and putting her hands on his shoulders.

He pushed her hands away as she tried to pull out his hair. "I never stop thinking."

She blinked, "did I ever tell you I hate that?"

He nodded, letting her push him down as she crawled on top of him. "Well I do" she said, his feet propped on the pillows, head at the foot of the bed, "I really do."

She leaned down to kiss him, her lips brushing lightly over his. Shikamaru pushed his hips against hers harshly. The involuntary movement caused her to gasp, opening her lips. With that, their tongues were twisting against each other, lips becoming wet and sore. She put her hand on his hip, moving her legs to straddle him. He pushed his tongue against hers softer this time, sitting up so she could be on his lap.

"Temari" he breathed as they pulled away. He paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself as her wetness was suddenly pressed against his already hard cock. "Are you sure about this? I mean, we can do this? There are other things we can do."

She blinked, hair sweeping over her shoulders as she studied his glazed expression. The last time had been their first, of everything. The only thing they had done besides kiss, was the one time she had taken her hand between them and pressed her palm against his hard-on. That was it. He had never touched her breasts, or stuck his fingers inside her; she had never gotten him off with her fingers or her lips. She had never kissed his naked chest, or seen him shirtless for that matter. And then suddenly they were doing it all, and more.

His concern made sense.

"Shika" she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder, "we can do those things later."

He smiled slightly, hands caressing her back softly, bringing chills along her spine. "Please, Shika" she said softly, all of her Temari-like attitude disappearing. "Please." Her light beg made him harder. God, he fucking wanted her. Maybe more so than last time. Maybe more so than any man had ever wanted a woman. Logic told him that was impossible, but the reality seemed even more unlikely. Nothing would ever be accomplished if other men could feel like this towards their women.

Yes, he thought sheepishly, she is my woman.

For just having turned seventeen, she certainly seemed like a woman.

"Jesus, just fuck me already." She said, returning to her normal voice and manner of speaking.

He laughed now, making her chuckle, before she gasped as he finally lifted her over and onto him. "Good God" she moaned, biting his shoulder slightly. He shuddered.

It didn't hurt as much this time. Actually, it didn't hurt at all. She had expected to be sore, or at least tender or something. But no, maybe waiting so long had helped that. Now, all she felt was a wholeness, a completeness so surreal she almost whimpered. She squeezed, almost climaxing with just the feeling of him in her, stretching her, twitching inside her.

He gave a small moan, pulling her closer to him, holding her to him in a tight hug. They stayed like this for a few minutes, Temari alternating her lips and her tongue along his neck, Shikamaru reveling in the feelings she was eliciting from her breasts pressed to his chest, nipples clearly defined against his skin, her mouth, and the feeling of her hot pussy tightly wrapped around him.

Finally, with a small surrender to their bodies, they began to move, movements almost pushing both of them over the edge.

"Hold out, Temari" he said with a struggled calmness, when she suddenly threw her head back, brow sweaty, and lips caught in a moan. She felt it coming, and it surprised her that he could tell. But he did, and she listened to him. Who knows why, she thought silently, but she wasn't exactly in any position to argue.

He lasted longer this time; concentrating his mind on reciting the number of cigarettes he had seen Asuma smoke in the past week. Temari loosed herself slightly, losing the coming orgasm. After a second, she pushed him down, and then rolled them over so he was on top.

He kissed her, moving faster as he felt her tighten again.

Temari gasped. Of the few orgasms she had had, none had felt like this. She saw stars, she saw white, she saw nothing. It all was happening too fast. There wasn't enough air. Her blood was pumping, her head was going to explode, and she could feel it in the pit of her stomach, the tightness, and the willingness to just let go. Something inside her wound up so tightly, she was sure it would snap any second. No, an orgasm had never felt like this before. Never so deep inside, never so universal that it felt like the world was going to end the second she let go.

She let go of her breath, a name passing through her lips. The world spun. She resisted the urge to faint, to collapse, to die.

Euphoria. It filled the deepest hunger, the deepest need.

He felt it. Something unlike he had ever felt. Something so far away from last time. It was different when she didn't come.

This happened around cigarette twenty three, when Shikamaru heard something, something that made him lost count- a name: "Oh God, Shika," she panted, remembering to continue moving for his benefit. It didn't take more than a moment though before she felt what she had felt four and a half weeks earlier- the last time Shikamaru had come she had been keenly observant of his face. This time, she didn't look at him, continuing to shut her eyes as she leaned against him.

The same thing happened again. He kept coming, more than she imagined. Over and over until he finally collapsed on top of her, forgetting to hold his weight, but she didn't mind.

"Christ" he said when he regained his breath. "Mari- that…"

"I know," she said, opening her eyes to see his face next to hers, "I know."

They didn't speak for a few seconds, sill basking in the aftermath of sex. Finally, he rolled off of her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, examining his face.

"Shikamaru" she said, blinking, "was it like that before?"

He smiled slightly. "Not at all."

"How so?"

"It wasn't rushed, for starters," he said, sitting up, forgetting to be uncomfortable naked. '"And it was easier this time. I knew, for the most part, what I was supposed to do. Hand me a tissue?"

She turned to the bedside table and grabbed him a Kleenex. But as soon as he took it, she snatched the paper from his hand. "Hey, what are you doing that for?"

Temari continued before he could answer, "I mean, I'm here all night."

He looked at her, and then down at his cock, c_o_vered with her. He had planned to wipe it off, but hey, there was no point if what she was beginning to do with her hand was any implication.

She was tempted to tell him, as she began rolling his balls around in her fingers, that fucking him was a hell of a lot better than masturbation, but his head didn't need to get any bigger. So instead, she just got on top of him again, burying her face in the pillow to hide her laughter when she heard Yoshino call him down for dinner.

Yeah, she thought, as he got out of bed, excuses running through his head, I am going to be here all night.

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A/N: Kind of cute. I don't know. No real point in the story, no significance.

I want to put out the Game Part II soon. So look forward to that. Oh, and I've recently begun reading Bleach fanfic- best story in the world (although it doesn't take place in the Bleach world, which I usually dislike) is Tituba3's **Odalisque. **Like really, beyond belief. I was up all night reading it. Story line is amazing, and the chemistry between Ichigo and Rukia is just scary. I would give anything to write chemistry like that.

Oh, and I realized that I say 'God' or 'Christ' a lot in this fic. Well, be wary- I am not religious. I am atheist, or better yet: borderline agnostic. No offense. I do not mean to use God's name in via or any of that, your religion, your choice and all- but I do it all the time in daily life, _especially _during sex.

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*****And **someone asked me which ages coencide with which chapters... well when I finish this whole story, I will put an authors note in the beginning, saying which order the chapters should be in chronologically and the ages associated with that, although I kind of like them out of order. But they all fit together, nothing is out of place, I am almost positive, because for the most part, I've mapped it out. So if you see anything, tell me. And if you want me to tell you the order, write me- I love that you'd be interested.

-Lollipop


	12. So Long, Secrets

**Really short chapter. **

**Still working on the next real long, significant one. **

**Consider this a teaser. A snack before the next legit chapter.**

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Chapter XIII: Caught

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He grabbed her hair and pulled back, earning an almost silent whisper and an exposed neck. He grinned cockily before devouring what skin he had in front of him. Her breathing became ragged, and in an attempt to even the playing field, she grabbed his hands away from her hair, and brought them to the crease of her robe, where they slipped inside to touch her chest.

She pressed her palms against the tile, letting the touches and caresses wash over her.

Temari looked in the mirror, enjoying the sight of them before his right hand left her breast and grabbed her chin awkwardly, pulling her face sideways so they could meet in some form of a kiss. She traced her tongue over his lips, opening her mouth as she finally leaned forward so he could enter her.

His hips pushed forward involuntarily, pulling his mouth from hers to bite her shoulder as he moaned a bit too loudly. She laughed and covered his mouth with her hand befor pushing back against him over and over until she too was biting back the moans.

It was cold in Suna this time of year. Cold and dry. And now, having Temari fully surrounding him, wet and hot. Well... he couldn't help but pummel her as her hips dug into the ceramic.

Temari too, was enjoying herself. In fact, she was so caught up in the moment she didn't realize the twisting of her knob. Shikamaru did though, and stopped moving the instant her heard the click.

* * *

Temari, being a loud person in nature, was surprisingly quiet when it came to sex.

It had surprised him at first, that although he was the the silent one in most of their conversations, and he rarely shouted, he happened to be the louder one in bed.

Shikamaru was hardly clamorous, but then again, he was louder than her.

"So", Temari ventured, "it is all your fault. After all, you can't blame me."

She straightened her hair. "Shika" she whispered in an unexpectedly kind voice, "we've been together almost half-a-decade. It had to happen eventually." Then: "what, are you scared of my brothers?"

He didn't need to nod. She knew it anyways. Most people were.

He remained mute. It wasn't like Gaara had seen much. They weren't naked or anything. Plus, Shikamaru knew he must have had an inkling. Not two years ago he had seen Shikamaru with Temari at the hospital in the middle of the night to get her lips stitched.

"Look," Temari said eventually, "Sit here and contemplate all you want, I'm leaving."

She kissed the corner of his mouth before turning away, the touch bringing him out of his thoughts for a moment.

Her head turned slightly, "I love you, Shikamaru."

The door shut, echoing against the tiled walls. He watched where she had stood. She was right. He couldn't blame her. He was the loud one. The louder one. Not loud. He had walked in on Asuma and Kurenai, _and_ Ino and Kiba before. No. He was not loud.

But it was his moan. His small, though clearly audible moan that had roused Gaara to seek the source in the first place. Thus, it was his fault.

Then again, she had been the one wanting to sneak off into the bathroom. Not that he didn't want to fuck. But she was the one who had been horny first, and had coyly pulled him into the small room so they could make out.

So really, she had gotten them into this. And before that, she had been the one who insisted on staying in her old home while hers was being renovated. So really, this was equally as much his fault as it was hers.

But he couldn't dispute her other claim. She had been right with that- someone had to find out eventually.

He could still count the number of people who knew about this ongoing tryst with one hand: Ino, Kurenai, Choji, Neji, and Tenten, and he wanted to keep it that way. That had been enough. He didn't want anyone else knowing. He might be in love with Temari, but he certainly wasn't dating her.

Wait. What if Gaara insisted.

After all, he, if anyone, had a reputation to uphold. Having the Kazkage's sister engaged in sinful acts with a boy from a different village and with whom she was uncoupled? Shikamaru didn't think so.

No, they would be made to date. Hell, they would be forced into marriage or some crazy shit like tha-

There was a bang. And then a shout. More scuffling.

"Stop it" Temari's clear voice boomed from down the hall. "I mean it."

She followed this a few seconds later, after another boom with: "What do you care anyways?"

Shikamaru stiffened.

Fuck.

A moment later, the door swung open, Gaara holding it for Shikamaru to exit. He eyed the red haired man for a second before turning his attention to the kitchen, where Temari was currently trying to restrain her other sibling. Shikamaru didn't think she was actually trying that hard, which kind of ticked him off.

"Kankuro" Temari growled, voice low and threatening. He did not take head. Instead, he pushed past her and nailed Shikamaru in the jaw.

Temari looked between them. Shikamaru didn't waver, though the punch had split his chin open. Instead of cowering, his eyes remained hard. But he didn't speak.  
Not the right approach, she mused.

As Kankuro swung again, she intervened. "It is not your place, Kuro!" She shouted.

"And let this asshole have his way with you just for kicks? Yeah, right!" But he didn't continue. Instead, he backed down, putting his arms by his side.

Finally, Shikamaru spoke. "I apologize to the Kazkage for what he has just witnessed, it was vulgar and rude, and cruel. I can promise it will never happen like that again."

This would have helped, had Gaara not chosen this exact second to open his mouth. "It will never happen like that again? Do you mean in a private bathroom within my private home, or do you mean to say you will never engage in coitus with my sister from behind, pressing her into a sink?" His steel voice wavered at the end slightly, almost with a... laugh?

The second punch came again, and then the third, and Temari wasn't stopping them anymore.

Instead, her mouth hung open. She looked past where Shikamaru refused to raise a hand against his tormentor, to where Gaara stood, his eyes smiling slightly. It was a look she rarely saw. And one that made her smile.

He was okay with this. He was...happy. Proud. Relieved.

And that was all that mattered to Temari. Kankuro would get over it. He didn't have a choice.  
And suddenly, it felt like a heaviness she had never noticed all these years had been lifted from her shoulders. She sighed, and winked at her brother, before suddenly cursing and going back into the current one-way fist battle.

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**I've been upset with reviews lately, so I ask that you write them, again. Please. I don't write unless I know people read.**


	13. In The Beginning

This one I am not sure about. I wanted to post a long one because it has been so long and I feel you deserve it- this is the longest finished and unposted piece I have right now, but I am working on a few more. I will want to come back and edit it later on, so I'll tell you about that.

Some stuff is left out, not every meeting is mentioned here, so be ware that this isnt the whole story of how their crushed developed- obviously there is more.

**Review!**

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August**

Temari always knew that there was something between them. Ever since that first meeting, there had been some sort of _thing._ It wasn't some romantic love tale or anything. She wasn't _attracted _to him. That'd be, well… gross, to say the least. But there was something about him, something about the way he carried himself, the way he understood her in a way that meant he would never get her at all.

It wasn't a 'thing' thing. No. Temari had 'thing' things with other people. Boys her own age. She bantered with some of the cocky boys in Suna, much like the way she would banter with Shikamaru. She flirted with them. She fooled around with a few of them. She had crushes. She had dreams about a few boys over the years, one kissing her by a tree, another grabbing her breast through her shirt as they lay in a training field.

With Shikamaru, it wasn't like this. She didn't dream about touching his lips, or running her hands through his hair. She never noticed him like that. Sure, she thought he was kind of hot. Who wouldn't? But she admitted that to herself in a casual way, as an art critique would notice a young, premature piece of art. Not in an oh-my-god-I-want-to-get-that-face-between-my-legs kind of way. Not that she ever really thought that about anyone, not even the Uchiha boy, who she was more than willing to admit, was the most attractive man she had ever seen, even as a twelve year old.

So, yes: there was a thing.

And at the same time, there was no 'thing' at all.

For being fifteen years old, Temari should have recognized it the moment she met him. But maybe, him being young and all, she didn't think it was what it was.

So for now, she left it at that. That was all there was.

But really, there was so much more.

**February**

Shikamaru had a girlfriend. Her name was Naoko. She was tall, as tall as he was, and as pale as him too. She was pretty, he guessed. He liked her though. He liked the way she smiled and the way she asked him questions. She wasn't too tolerant of his lazy behavior, but much more so than most of the women in his life.

She didn't bother him as much as most girls did, which he liked. And she enjoyed making out a lot, which was good for him too. In all, she was pretty great. Shikamaru fancied himself falling in love with her, maybe marrying her one day. He had always planned on it: finding a local girl, marrying young, popping out a few kids, and then dying.

Naoko was perfect. She never bothered him, or annoyed him; they got along perfectly.

But then something happened.

It had been a normal night for Shikamaru: brushing teeth, stripping down, getting in bed, shutting his eyes, etc.

But then when he began to dream, it didn't quite turn out like he wanted it to. He was in a small room, and Naoko was there. They were sitting on the floor, leaning up against the wall, kissing.

He had this style of kissing- slowly, almost in a Shikamaru-like laziness. She would allow him to touch their tongues, sliding playfully and softly. He was holding one side of her face, hands creeping into her short dark hair, when suddenly the door flew open.

Temari? In his dream?

At first it was okay, if not odd. But then, he stood up, and grabbed her face in his hands, pulled her close until their bodies were touching, breath mingling, and smashed –yes, he could find no other word that would fit the image so exactly-, _smashed_ their lips together.

He didn't know why. He had never wanted to kiss Temari. He liked kissing Naoko. He liked the way she slid her tongue against his. He didn't like the way Temari battled his tongue, bit his lips; opened her mouth wide.

But he did. He loved it. He wanted Temari to do it more. He wanted to keep kissing her. And he kept kissing her.

Maybe it had been her look when she came in the room: cheeks flushed, strands of hair coming down from that ridiculous hairstyle? Maybe that was hot to him, so he had gotten up and kissed her? No other explanation really made sense. It wasn't like he _actually_ had feelings for Temari.

Nevertheless, Shikamaru kept kissing her. He kept pushing her backwards until she was against wall and he was pressed into her, not a space between them.

He had never felt like this: like something was brewing deep inside his stomach. It was a burning in the pit of his gut. Something was building, yearning, and he couldn't quite figure it out. Well, that's not true. Some of it he knew- like the part that was running in a fiery line to his groin. The feeling was familiar, albeit a million times stronger, but still familiar.

He didn't know what happened to Naoko. She just wasn't there anymore.

He woke not long after, panting and confused. Shikamaru sat there for a good portion of the next few months, bending over in physical pain trying to retract these images from his mind.

He broke up with Naoko the next day.

"Why?" she asked, sobbing. They had only been dating a few weeks, was she really going to cry? He thought up a reason, but none came to mind, nothing he wanted to admit. "I know" she said, holding up a hand as he opened his mouth with an excuse. "You don't have to say it." He frowned, "you are in love with Ino Yamanaka."

Shikamaru almost broke his seriousness to laugh out loud. Ino? Ino? Yeah, right. _That, _he assured himself, was _never_ going to happen."What?"

"All my friends think it. She is just so pretty, and she is your teammate and everything. I- I know."

Shikamaru left it at that. Okay, so Ino was a no. But Temari was a whole different level of 'no'. He hardly could admit it to himself –that he had dreams involving the Sand ninja- much less to another person.

It probably would have made a lot more sense if he _had _been dreaming about Ino.

**April**

Gaara had been making the trips back and forth for months now, Temari and Kankuro getting dragged along as personal bodyguards. There was an ANBU assigned to them during this time. Their father had died not too long ago, and politics in Suna were spiraling out of control. Gaara was contemplating stepping into the vacant seat left by his father, which in turn, caused for a large price on his head. Sure, Temari and Kankuro were good bodyguards, even though, truthfully, Gaara was better than the both of them combined and was more than capable of watching himself, but Tsunade nevertheless insisted an ANBU 'guide' them around Konoha.

Temari didn't like ANBU. She didn't like their division, and she didn't like their attitude. In her opinion, ninjas weren't built for fighting. They were built for protecting their people, and if that happened to involve fighting, so be it. But they weren't _made_ to fight. ANBU were. Suna had their own ANBU. Temari didn't like ANBU.

She complained to Gaara. A few days later, he called her into his office. "I want you to go to Konoha for a few weeks, there is work that needs to be done."

She nodded, mind already contemplation what work she would be doing. "Temari" he said, putting his hands down and looking at her. He might be short, but there was no denying how daunting Gaara was. "I am sending you alone." She paused, looking at him. "I am assigning you a new position. You are to be the ambassador of Sunagakure. This means you will represent this village on diplomatic missions. If need be, I can give you an assistant to work with."

"Ambassador?" She asked, excited. He nodded. Temari sobered quickly, straightening her back and wiping the smile off her lips. "Understood. When do I leave?"

When he said she would be met by the gates, she had assumed it would be by her ANBU guide. As she stepped through, eyes searching, he came towards her.

"Crybaby" she said, looking past him, "are you on your way out?"

He shrugged, rubbing his neck, "actually" Shikamaru said, giving her a look that said 'I didn't want this either', "I am here for you."

She stopped and gawked, "you? The Hokage assigned _you _as my guide? The laziest bastard in the whole fucking village! What on God's name was she thinking?"

"Heh" he turned away from her. "I could ask her the same thing, giving me such a meaningless job that requires no effort, but a hell of a lot of time." He began walking down the path.

Accidentally, she stared after him. She didn't mean to be looking at his butt. But she was. And with intense ferocity, she wanted to take it back. Temari didn't look at butts! She never admired guys for their bodies. She was a ninja, they were all pretty great bodies. But now, here, she was checking out Shikamaru's ass? No, she physically shook, no. That is disgusting. And yet, she kept seeing him naked.

"Hey, hold up, Shikamaru!"

He angled his head toward her. "What?" He looked back at her standing stiff on the street.

She took a deep breath. "Nothing." She ran to catch up.

000

That night, as Temari lay in bed, she had a dream. It involved him. _Him!_

Why, on God's name, would she ever, _ever_ dream of… _that?_

But she had. They were on a park bench, sitting aimlessly, arguing about some stupid point, and then they were kissing. Really kissing. Not that sweet crap. Kissing. Tongues-beating-against-each-other kind of kissing.

She woke up pretty quickly after that. She panted, nervous, excited, and disgusted all at the same time. She pushed a hand under the blanket. She was wet. Like really, really wet.

_Fuck._

Okay, Temari decided, I'm horny. Just really horny today, that's all. Shikamaru just fell in the way of that.

So, as it was barely midnight, she got up. Her closet didn't exactly have a variety of clothing, especially when traveling. Nevertheless, a dress was there. One of those she tended to bring along whenever she went somewhere for an extended period of time. Three weeks was pretty extended. It was one of those hot deals. Cut in the right places, and tight wherever she wanted to show a feature off. It was dark blue, which made her modest, while still sexy. Hair down and everything, Temari went to go satiate her hunger.

The boy was pretty hot. A local, College he said. Thick hair that hung in his eyes, perfect set of teeth. They began talking immediately, and within minutes, were sharing saliva. He pushed her against the wall, grinded himself into her. Touched her breasts, her butt. Ran his hands over her shoulders, ran them through her hair.

She forgot all about Shikamaru in those minutes. Her subconscious conjured no images of him being the one she was kissing, and that, in hindsight, made Temari very, _very _happy.

000

She woke up again, for the third time in the past two weeks, rubbing her temples trying to get the images from her head.

She wanted to scream. Wasn't there some kind of law against this? He was a kid, for god's sake. A stupid, fucking kid. Okay, well maybe not stupid. But he was a kid, and she wasn't.

And God, Gaara would kill her, _kill her, _if they ever began dating.

But why would that ever happen? She didn't even like him. That's what was so damn annoying about this! She didn't even _like_ Shikamaru. Sure, she thought of him as a friend… sometimes. But that didn't condone sexual dreams about him.

Maybe she was just sexually attracted to him. It probably wasn't even that. Maybe it was just his intelligence she found hot. That was his one redeeming quality. Maybe, if she found someone equally as smart, she would want to make out with him too.

Okay, well no one was as smart as him. She already knew that.

It probably wasn't even that anyways. Kakashi Hatake was pretty smart too, and yet, she never wanted to do the things to him that she kept doing to Shikamaru in her dreams. It would also be a bit more appropriate to be lusting after an infamous ninja than a small schoolboy.

She cursed again. Getting up. She had a new boy here. Well, new boys. Ones that helped her forget about kissing Shikamaru. Ones that kissed her with no consequences.

It worked, for a time.

But every night when she came back, she didn't dream about them.

000

He didn't like her. He really didn't. Sure, he dreamt about her. She was pretty hot, so it made sense. Sort of. He had seen Ino naked before. Ino was like walking sex. He didn't dream about her. Maybe it was because they were friends.

But there were other girls, not all of them friends.

Sakura was gorgeous. No sexual dreams. Hinata was cute. No dreams of any sort. Kurenai was pretty. No thought ever passed his mind.

So why Temari? A girl he could hardly stand?

And, why, with something as stupid as this, did he feel so incredibly jealous? It wasn't like he really _wanted _to fuck her, he just dreamt about it… and _sometimes_ thought about it when he masturbated.

Yesterday, Tsunade had asked that he leave her and Temari alone for a bit while they went over private matters. Shikamaru had taken this time to go find Choji and Ino. Normally, he would have spent this time by himself, trying to get a breath, but now he wanted company. He wanted to talk to someone that wasn'tTemari. He wanted to think about something else.

But no, they just had to talk about her.

Ino had to confirm rumors, Choji just tagged along.

"Shikamaru!" Ino had snapped, "I asked you a question!"

He had sighed, "I am with her all day, at night I leave her at the embassy, and then pick her up the next morning."

"So you aren't with her 24/7?"

"No."

"So it might be true then" Ino had said, eyes wide. Shikamaru looked confused. "I hear that your friend-"

"She isn't my friend."

"-has been going around and being a _total _slut."

"Huh?" Shikamaru and Choji had said at the same time.

"Well, Hana Inuzuka came into the shop yesterday, and we were talking, and she said that her boyfriend told her a story about one of our friends visiting from the Sand that was going out to different bars every night and, well you know… having boys."

Shikamaru chuckled, "you think Temari has been keeping lovers here in Konoha?"

Ino's eyes widened and she shrugged, "I don't know! I'm just asking, that's all. And Hana didn't say that she was taking them back to the embassy, that her boyfriend just saw Temari in the corner at more than one bar."

Shikamaru had merely laughed and rolled his eyes. He had been with Temari the past two weeks, and she had never mentioned anything of the sort. Of course, why would she tell him? It wasn't like they talked about that kind of thing. She probably thought he was too young to even think about girls.

Ha, yeah right.

But that was yesterday. And it hadn't been plaguing him since. He never imagined that it was possible. He just never saw Temari as that kind of girl. Sure, he didn't think she hadn't had boys before. After all, he has kissed more than one girl by the time he was thirteen. She, being a feisty, loud, demanding girl, had probably done more than that by sixteen.

She just didn't seem like the kind of girl to be, well, slutty.

So he forgot about it. Ino always picked up useless gossip anyways.

But when he took her to the library to pick up a book on the Chunin exams, which is what Tsunade had apparently been discussing with her yesterday, he had seen them- the hickeys.

She had tilted her head slightly, examining the shelves, a finger to her lower lip. Normally, he tried not to look at her, but last night's dream had been particularly graphic, and when she shone her neck just so, he couldn't help but remember it in detail. But instead of a clean, tan neck like he had imagined, her neck had two rather large, dark spots.

Shikamaru had never actually given a hickey, but he knew what it required. He had seen it done to Kiba multiple times, as he tended to show off his proof that he had multiple girlfriends, and Shikamaru knew it took a period of sucking to make a mark that dark.

Two moths he had been dreaming about her. Two months he had been fucking her brains out multiple times a week, sometimes a night.

Never, not once, had he ever actually liked her. He had never actually _thought_ he might like _her._ It was clear from the beginning that he only thought about her sexually. And that was how it was. He only liked her in his dreams. Not the _real _Temari, just the one he saw at night.

But now, now he was rethinking himself. Now, he figured, he might actually have feelings for the real Temari. The live one. The one standing right next to him.

Why else would he be jealous?

Why else would he be so incredibly upset that she had been kissing someone else? Was it possible that he did, actually, have feelings for her? Sure, it was still just sexual, but that changed when it became possessive. He wanted her all to himself- and that meant more than he was willing to acknowledge.

"Temari" he said, and she turned to him, face happy, "how did you sleep last night?"

She frowned, "what kind of question is-" and then her eyes widened in realization and she blushed, brining up her hand and brushing her fingers along her neck. "Oh," he had only seen her blush once, that time she had cornered him after Chunin exams, and he had forgotten how much he liked it. "Yeah" she said, embarrassed, "I, uh… I wasn't tired last night, so I went out."

He kept his face blank, "I figured." But that didn't cover it. Confronting her hadn't actually done anything. Instead, his blood boiled. The incredible anger and rage was under his skin and it was damn searing. Pain was bad. Jealousy was something much worse.

She gave him an unreadable expression and then smiled slightly, reaching up to pull out her hair. The first pigtail went down, and then the second. As much as he tried to resist, his breath caught in his throat.

Not once had he ever, _ever_ imagined he would see her hair down in real life. She just kept smiling and shaking her hair out and then running her fingers through it. "Does that cover it?"

All he could do was nod, yes, the hair did cover the hickeys. But he didn't speak, unsure of what his voice would sound like or what he would say.

Sure, he thought her hairstyle was stupid, but it worked for her, as his did for him. But having her hair down made it all the more… sensual.

No, he didn't want to take the risk of speaking.

A few hours later, Temari kicked him underneath the table. He looked up from his book and glanced. "You seem stressed." She said.

"I don't like doing work, if that's what you're saying."

She smiled, "you like to watch the clouds, right?"

"Sometimes" he answered, wondering how she knew that.

"Good, let's go."

He shut the book. "What do you mean?"

She stood up and straightened her dress, "even though I didn't ask you to be my guide, it is still my fault you have to work every day for three weeks, going from place to place without any real work. "

"You mean: you owe me?"

She nodded, "exactly."

He gave her a questioning look, but led the way to his favorite hill anyways. A good fifteen minutes later, they were stretched out on the grass, looking up at the clouds.

It was stupid, he realized, taking her here.

This morning he hadn't actually felt anything for the live Temari, well he had been unaware of any feelings he might have had. But now he was electrified with feelings. Jealousy, one. That was hard. He had spent the past three hours with her in the library trying to control himself from exploding- at what, he didn't know. But exploding, nonetheless. Now, it was a bit worse. Now, his second feeling, his own libido, was much harder to control than jealousy.

Today, Shikamaru decided, was just a bad, bad day.

She was lying out, one knee bent, the other straight, hands laced behind her head. He knew, if her rolled over, he would be touching her, his face would be inches from her. In just one movement, he could kiss her.

But he didn't.

He didn't even look at her after that first glance, refusing to become aroused. That didn't actually stop anything from happening, he was still fighting that final part of his erection, but it had helped him not think about all the things he could do to her in one movement.

Suddenly, he wanted all these knew things from Temari. He wanted things from the real Temari. Maybe it had always been her? Maybe he didn't just have a thing for his dream girl, but the actual Temari. After all, were they even a different person?

He wanted to touch her. He wanted to run his lips over hers, her legs; her breasts. He wanted to see what her mouth looked like when she moaned; lips red and sore like he always imagined they were after they had sex.

But he didn't.

He did none of it. He didn't look at the hair brushing her shoulders, or the sun setting on her face. No, he kept his gaze on the clouds, watching, for the first time ever, with an aim: to forget Temari.

000

It wasn't until later, after Shikamaru had gone out and threatened the boys she had hooked up with, that he realized something.

It was something the third guy had said, the hickey-boy.

He said she was drunk. Temari, being Temari, likes to talk when she's drunk. She likes to talk about lots of things, things on her mind, when she's drunk.

**June**

His put his hands on his knees for support, brow dripping slightly. When they trained, she liked to work on the things she wasn't that good at- close combat. He might save chakra when not using his jutsu, but his fists. Only he actually worked his limbs much harder, which caused for more exterior pain, and more sweating. Which was odd, since it wasn't more exertion.

Temari brushed a stray hair from her eye, panting as she did so.

"Giving up so easily?" She teased, stepping back into position.

"I tend to save all this energy for when I really need it."

"Bullshit" she said, stepping towards him, "you really are too lazy to be considered a ninja."

"You just think I shouldn't waste my intelligence on cloud watching."

She smirked, "pretty much, yeah."

He snorted. She was extra feisty today.

"So" she called after a moment, chest heaving, "do you forfeit, again?"

He paused, watching her.

Last night had been a good one. The way her hips pressed into him when he grabbed her ass and pulled it forward. The improper things she had done with her tongue. The way she kissed his stomach through his mesh shirt. The way she looked naked- Shikamaru just watched her.

She cocked her head slightly, and gave that small grin. "Again, Shikamaru. I want to win by standard terms, not by your laziness or pity."

Unable to say no to her, he played.

He never thought that today would be the day. But it was. It started as he watched her move, her fan swinging, back arched, when he realized that maybe he liked her too. He almost enjoyed the way she smiled, and the ways her eyes lit up when she saw him. He enjoyed those secret looks they had, and small movements they shared.

Okay, so he wasn't crazy about her or anything. He liked her though.

Shikamaru tasted that out on his tongue. "I like Temari."

Something about it sounded final, as though he had finally lifted a weight off his shoulders.

He thought about that some more. Maybe, if all went well now, he would ask her out tonight. Maybe she would say yes. Except, he didn't want to go out with her. They weren't really a boyfriend/girlfriend type anyways. Neither of them had real lovey dovey feelings. He was pretty sure she was just as sexually interested in him and he was in her.

Maybe, it could be like Asuma had described. Shikamaru could have her like that.

He snorted to himself, "yeah, like Temari would ever go for that."

"What was that?" she called after some of her wind died down.

Temari just eyed him, thinking. He looked kind of happy. That kind of pissed her off.

She wondered, if she asked him what he was thinking about, would he answer correctly? She could tell, somehow, that he was thinking about her.

But Temari didn't care. Dreams were dreams. She wasn't going to actually ever do anything with him. She didn't actually _want_ to do them.

It wasn't like she _knew_ she was going to kiss him in a few minutes, or tumble around in the grass pinned beneath his cut body. It wasn't like she knew she was going to lose her virginity in a few months, better yet, get married in ten years. At this point, Temari was still trying to figure how she even found him, apart from his good looks, that attractive.

No, right now, she thought that this _thing_ was still just a thing.

But boy, was she wrong.

* * *

*****HELP!**

I'll mention it again next chapter, but I am in need of some help.

I read a ShikaTema story a few weeks ago, and didnt review or favorite or anything, and I want to do that and reread it. Unfortunately, I have NO IDEA where it is. I searched through most of the stories on the website, and cant seem to come across it!

All I remember is that she comes back to the village after a few years away. In the meantime, Shikamaru had gotten married and then his wife died. I think her name was Megume or Midori or something like that. Temari knew this and purposely stayed away from the village, which hurt Shikamaru.

I really want to reread it, so if you have any ideas or clues to what it might be **PLEASE I BEG OF YOU, SEND THEM TO ME.**

Thanks.


	14. Mistake

Thank You to everyone who told me which story it was I was looking for (39 Days is the name, btw. Check it out, fucking amazing!)

And thank you for the reviews, as usual.

_lolsexman: If the chapter was confusing, read the other ones, and it will make sense. _

* * *

This one has a name. (Maybe I'll name them all, one day.)  
Chapter 15: **Mistake**

* * *

Hair covered her face, blocking out everything but what she wanted to be blind from most: the sun. She took her first aware breath of the day, albeit a half-conscious breath. Her mind was still caught in the place between sleep and reality. She had enough sense to know that she was in a bed and it was morning, but that was about it.

Temari rolled over, feeling the heavy blanket slide against her body. The sheets were soft, almost fluffy, but not quite. Warmth encasing her body, soft against bare skin. She fluttered her eyes, burying her head further into the pillow. She pulled the navy sheets above her head, seeing if the sunlight could disappear for another hour or so.

Wait, she paused momentarily, I know this bed,

Testing, Temari moved her foot a few inches forward to see what she would hit. A moment later, she came in contact.

She snapped her body up, the sheet pooling around her stomach. "What the fuck!" She snapped, immediately regretting the outburst as she brought her hands to her head and began rubbing her temples. She felt as if someone had taken a jackhammer to her brain. She groaned. Fuck.

He only blinked. Shikamaru, being Shikamaru, had a moderate tolerance for liquor, thus, he could get drunk. Shikamaru, being Shikamaru, never got hungover, not ever. It wasn't fair that her head was pounding, and he was just laying aimlessly, his body completely healthy.

Fucking alcohol.

She took her hands away from her head and glared at him. He only shrugged, looking at her. Temari watched as his eyes trailed down to her chest, her nipples hard in the cool air. His eyes looked back to hers, and he smirked slightly, as if taunting her, showing her that her body has betrayed her. She did, in fact, want him.

"Don't look so happy" she said sharply, hugging the covers up to her chest and swinging her legs off the bed, careful to keep her body covered while she searched the floor for her discarded clothes. "It was a mistake, it won't happen again."

He just shrugged, and she caught the movement in a reflection off a framed picture of his friends, Team 10. She blushed, feeling as though his old Sensei's eyes, a man she had grown to respect in the brief time they had known each other, were watching her, ashamed with her for either coming back here or for leaving, she wasn't sure.

"It was an accident" she said, mostly to herself, "I didn't realize what I was doing."

He cocked a brow, but still didn't speak. She glanced around the room. By his dresser were her tights, her underwear tangled with them. She tried to find her bra before she scampered to go put things on, it was spread out on his desk, over his paper work. Temari moved to get up, but then sat down again.

She sighed, burying her head in her hands, rubbing through the dull pain.

She remembered last night well enough. Unfortunately, she only remembered her actions, not exactly what she had been thinking. In reality, she probably wasn't thinking. If she were thinking, she would have controlled herself.

Not that I _need_ to control myself around him_!_ She screamed inwardly, before sighing again. Yeah, right. She had been struggling against him all week. What was worse, he hadn't even _tried _to make her give in. He just went on his fucking merry way while she had some inward and completely inappropriate urge to go screw his brains out, which only lead to a large amount of self-loathing on her part.

Looks like he was right, again.

She still wasn't going to admit it though. For now, it was an accident, and that was all she chose to see it as.

A very, very bad accident.

She remembered sitting in the bar with all of his friends. She was still guided by him, but that didn't mean they did things together now that they had 'stopped' this thing. Instead, Temari had branched out; beginning what had been an unlikely friendship with Tenten. They had all been sitting there, even Shino, who was usually left out of these things. Only Naruto, Sakura, and Sai were missing, or as some people referred to them, Team 7. Wait, it was something else now.

She racked her brain. Oh, Team Kakashi. Team 7 had ended when the Uchiha boy left.

Temari sighed again, rubbing her temples. The name of Naruto's team was not important, though Gaara had wanted to know after Naruto came back from his stint training with that old sage and Temari had forgotten to ask every time she came back; last night, in her state, she had remembered to finally ask someone. So she should remember that, although right now it wasn't relevant.

The bar was important, last night was important.

Had they even spoken? She hadn't looked at him all night, how had she ended up here?

She and Tenten were walking home. They passed by the Nara estate. He didn't even live there anymore. His apartment was almost half a mile away, and yet, she stopped, for some unknown reason. Bidding Tenten on, she stepped cautiously onto her ex-fuck buddy's family's property. Making her way through the woods, she came to the one spot he had actually taken her, a small clearing.

For some reason, he was there, feeding the deer.

"Shikamaru" she had said, stepping onto the grass. He turned around, looking at her through glazed eyes, his expression confused.

"Temari" he said loudly, "what are you doing here?"

"Nara" she demanded, "what are _you _doing here?" They laughed.

A part was missing from Temari's memory. She was sure, if she turned around right now and asked the cocky figure behind her, he would be able to fill in her gaps. Knowing him, he would have remembered every word, hell, every ant that passed over the grass underneath his feet, even while heavily intoxicated. But she wasn't going to. She wasn't going to give him more satisfaction than his smug expression already had. She was only proving his point correct: ending this ongoing tryst was stupid and bad for the both of them. So, instead of being boosting his ego, she ignored the missing piece.

The next thing she could recall was being in his apartment. She was kissing him by then, stumbling along the porch. His hands cupped her face, holding her against him. Their lips moved furiously and sloppily. The kisses were wet and hot. They moved until her back was hard against the door. She pressed her hands against his chest, slipping the key out of his flak jacket and somehow managing to unlock the door behind her as she continued her oral assault against him.

Every time they broke apart, they both laughed hysterically, before coming together in their array of sucking and biting.

They made their way into his bed room, but not quite to the bed. She remembered him pushing her into a wall, and then switching positions, so he was against the wall. Again. There was bumping, and more than that: stumbling. They had never actually been drunk together.

She remembered pushing him onto the bed and that lazy, happy grin as she crawled on top of him. She straddled him, unable to stop the smile from forming on her lips. His hand made their way to her robe, slipping inside and brushing along her heated stomach.

She stood up then, stepping away. His face held nothing but disappointment, and then only a sly smirk as she kept walking away from him until she reached his dresser, deciding to take her own clothes off before he could.

Temari had grabbed her obi and untied the knot slowly. She licked her dry lips, watching him do the same. She pulled a side off one shoulder, and then the other, waiting until he took control of her, like he did when she went too slowly.

Almost instantly, she could feel a binding in her stomach, and she tried to breathe, the breath coming out fine but constricted. His hands moved, and she pushed off her own robe, her fingers wandered, calloused fingertips on soft skin undoing her bra, thumbs locking in the waistband as she pulled the tights off her body, walking forward the whole time. Finally, he let her go, continuing to watch as she didn't return to the bed, but a chair in the corner.

He stood, his vest already off from earlier, his fingers working away his pants. He kneeled down. First, his hand went to her breast. She watched him, not giggling like other girls might (she never had, any time he had done this), and pushed her chest forward. He brushed his hand over it a few times, observing, playing, before finally cupping and then kneading. He rolled her nipple in his hand, genuinely fascinated that something so small could keep him so captivated.

His other hand went to her knee, uncrossing her legs and then widening them. His hand brushed up her inner thigh, causing her to grow more aroused. She felt him sharply, even with the alcohol clouding her senses.

His hands moved, gripping her thighs, squeezing the skin and muscle and pulling her down so she fell onto the floor. The wood panels were cold and hard against her back and butt. Now it was his turn to crawl on top of her, and he did. His skin touched hers heatedly, and she bit back moans as he finally entered her.

They moved together blindly, no rhythm set, just jerky movements.

She didn't really remember the exact moment her pussy clamped around him or how long it had been. The next thing she knew, his sweaty body was rolling off hers, and she had a sticky substance on her thighs. She smiled, and laughed.

He laughed too, the moonlight painting the scene blue.

She got up then, and instead of leaving, she just grabbed his hand and led him over to the bed, where they began again.

Temari moaned, biting her lip. After a full minute or so, she got up, swallowed her anger and humiliation, and began to pull clothes onto her body.

"Shikamaru" she said, wincing slightly at the noise of her own voice and what it was doing to her head, "I-" she stopped, looking at him. His jaw was tight, but his face relaxed. This was bugging him more than he was letting on. Maybe, if she had taken the risk of staring at him for more than a few seconds since she had arrived in Suna, she might have noticed that. She didn't care if he was hurting though, at least not right now.

Temari continued, "I am taking the day off. As I will not leave the embassy, you have no obligation to work, so take the time to do whatever it is you want. I'll see you tomorrow."

With those words in parting, Temari opened the door to his bedroom and walked out. She made it down the hall before she turned around and stalked back.

His head lifted as the door opened again. He was in the same position, blankets pulled to his waist, only now, a cigarette dangled from his mouth. In the few seconds she had left him alone, he had lit up. Sneaky bastard.

Against her better judgment, she stepped forward. "Dammit" she snapped, ignoring the bang in her head, "you're still doing that? A few months was enough, Shikamaru. You should stop." She pulled the stick from his mouth and put it out on his desk, burning a small mark into the wood. He didn't answer her, which irked her even more.

She stepped back, remembering what she came here to say, "This doesn't mean anything's changed, you know."

The combination of his stoic mouth and quirked eye brows gave a look that read 'really? Belive whatever you want.'

She huffed, clenching her fists and turning on her heel and walking out, trying not to think about how much she wanted to stay.

Because she didn't want to stay. She really didn't.

Okay… well maybe she did. But _not _because she was wrong, just because she knew what would happen if she stayed: the animal he could be in bed.

* * *

Shikamaru thumbed through the book on his desk, trying to distract himself.

A month ago, last time she was here, she told him that this thing was going to end. He had said that they liked each other, and she had said she liked him as a friend, it was just sex, and they could stop anytime and be fine, move on easily.

Ha, that was bullshit.

He knew it the moment the words left her mouth, but he didn't fight her on it, he wasn't in the mood for a riled Temari. All he had told her in response was that she was being stupid; she wouldn't be able to stop so easily.

She had been doing well enough this visit, but his stance was still unwavered. He had seen her avoid his eyes whenever he tired to catch hers. He sighed, grabbing another smoke from his desk. It was his third of the hour. She was beginning to get to him. It wasn't like they were in any relationship. She didn't have to prove that point. But she was being idiotic when she said it was just sex, it was more than that. Just sex meant that it could be sex with anyone. It meant that, had she tolerated, say… Lee for example, then she could have sex with him easily as she had done with Shikamaru. Yeah, right.

So much of sex was the person you were doing it with.

Look, he wanted to scream at her, you came back to me! You came here to _me, _tell me that is 'just sex'

But he didn't. He didn't see the point. Really, she wasn't going to last much longer. Temari was a pretty hot blooded person; a few tumbles didn't satiate her hunger for long.

Even if it had been a fucking amazing few tumbles.

* * *

Temari paced.

How stupid was she?

She had ended things with him a month ago! She had no excuse. She was drunk. Which was worse. It meant that, subconsciously, she wanted him. She went to where she was most comfortable, where she wanted to be. Which was with him!

She had told herself, she could have with anyone what she had with Shikamaru. He was a smart, attractive man, who happened to be a few years younger. Okay, so she hung around with Neji a bit as he and Tenten were best friends. He was younger (albeit only two years instead of Shikamaru's three), and much more attractive than Shikamaru (not that the Nara kid wasn't attractive, he was pretty damn hot. Neji was just on another level), and smart (not quite as smart as Shikamaru, no one was that smart). But after a week of observing him, she was no more attracted to him than she was to Tenten- in other words, the attraction was non-existent.

"Stupid, stupid, Shikamaru!" She snapped to herself, pushing over all the pieces on the shogi board setup in the embassy.

She threw the board of its stand and huffed, continuing to take deep breaths. Her hangover was gone now, a mix of coffee and sleep curing her. But that didn't matter. She had still made a mistake. A very, very bad mistake.

She turned around, glancing at herself in the mirror. She was completely naked, having just come from a bath.

Her body was red, her eyes wet.

Wait. Was she… crying? Oh, fuck no. Temari didn't cry. She _doesn't _cry! What the fuck was she crying over? Losing to Shikamaru? Allowing him to fuck her six ways from Sunday, again? She had no reason to cry tears of frustration.

Shouting profanities again, she stomped over to the bed and collapsed face first into a pillow.

Stupid, stupid, Shikamaru.

* * *

The door's to the hospital shut. Shikamaru rubbed his shoulder. Broken, Sakura had said. She was a bit peeved to have to come in on her day off, as Temari had roused her from her apartment and forced her to come fix up Shikamaru, saying something along the lines of 'I don't trust these Leaf doctors to do anything, different standards with the way they hand out medical licenses here.'

Shikamaru, too tired and annoyed to argue, just went wherever Temari went. If that meant bugging Sakura to fix his arm, so be it.

Temari had gotten him into this and she had gotten him out of it.

"Stop groaning" she said as they began down the road. "You're fine."

He rolled his shoulder back. It was sore, but completely healed. Sakura was really quite astounding. Ino couldn't do things like this yet, not as well at least. He should ask her about her training, he hadn't heard about it in a while. Suddenly Shikamaru felt bad, he hadn't heard anything about how her studies were going, and knowing Ino, all she did was talk about them (she talked about anything that concerned her, boys, and sex), which meant he had been ignoring her for a while now.

It was going to snow tonight, Shikamaru had a feeling. It was early evening now, most of the villagers returning from work. The streets were crowded, bodies colliding as everyone tried to race from the biting cold air.

He shivered, despite himself.

"Do you have work to do?" He asked, walking down by a training field. They had just been here an hour ago, did she really expect him to fight her again? It would be dark within the hour.

"No" she said, hands behind her back, "I was planning on-", she stopped.

Realizing she wasn't walking anymore, he turned his head to look at her, hands in his pockets. "What?"

She took a breath, her eyes dazed. She seemed to steady herself, before narrowing her eyes at him. "Nothing" she snapped, continuing on her way, passing him altogether.

He shrugged, "troublesome, woman."

She led him to the training ground they had just been on, stalking through the dead grass until she found the thing she had come here for.

He didn't ask her what she picked up, or why she'd dragged him here, he just watched as she slipped something in her pocket. She led them away, back up the hill, and across town to the embassy. They walked in silence, neither having much to say.

Shikamaru looked down, observing her feet as she stepped down the road. She wore socks, a cloak as well, which truthfully did nothing for her curves and just made her seem like figure in a burlap sack. Oddly enough, he was still turned on. But it was probably just because he knew what was underneath that cloak. He knew, if he ran his hands into the slit of the cloak and then the slit of her robe, he would find himself a pair of warm, soft, and well sized breasts. He would feel the thickness of her hips and slight waist.

God, the more he thought about what was underneath, the more turned on he became. He was ready to admit she was right, this was just sex, if only to have her let him touch her body. Not that she would even let him, when Temari got an idea; she tended to stick to it. She was very stubborn.

But honestly, he wasn't saying that she wanted to marry him or anything! Hell, he didn't think what they had between them was even enough to want to date. They were merely friends with benefits, and attraction. That was all, an attraction to each other. Not just sex, which she seemed to think it was. It wasn't.

But hell if that stubbornness on his part kept him from her tonight.

As they came to her door, the first few flakes had already fallen. She looked up to the sky, and the n down again, taking the step to close the distance between herself and her sometimes-home. Her fingers grazed the cool knob, the touch of frosty metal sending shivers down her spine.

"Goodnight" she said, pulling out the key and turning it in the lock.

She glanced sideways at him. His hair pulled back, hands in pockets, looking at her with an unreadable expression in his dark eyes.

"It's been three weeks, Temari." He said, gazing at her.

She stared at him, for the first time in a while. Twenty one days exactly, since she'd really watched his face.

"Are you asking me to invite you in?" She asked, "I thought I've made it perfectly clear that this _thing _is no longer happening."

He put a hand on the door, leaning close to her. She took gasped slightly, her face immediately heating up. "I'm not asking." He said slowly, with intention in his voice. Her eyes widened slightly at his forwardness and rudeness.

It was unlike him.

She took a breath, and then regained herself, narrowing her eyes.

"I've been here for a month, away from my home, my family, the Exams ended yesterday, I switch my workload now to begin on Suna's items of business with Konoha instead of working on the Exams, and I only have a week to finish that all up before I leave. Right now, Shika, is _not _the time to force your way into my bed. If you need to get off that badly, do it yourself. Better yet; go find some other girl to stick your cock into."

He resisted the urge to flinch at her words. He didn't like to be vulgar, dirty talk didn't turn him on really, especially when it didn't involve her. Instead, he simply pulled his hand from her doorframe and turned away.

He may be horny, and pissed, but curse him if he wasn't chivalrous… sometimes. Now, being one of those times.

"If you want me to find someone else, I will." He said, not looking at her.

Temari's eyes bore holes into his head, but he continued walking away without glancing back, the scene picture perfect in the empty, snowy street.

* * *

Obviously, they get back together. It isnt like the Breakup, because right now, they weren't really 'together'

I want to update the Game story arc, so expect that soon.

_I own no rights._

**review**

**please**


	15. The Game, Part II

So, I had all of The Game figured out (different points typed) but this just came to me a little while ago, so I quickly jotted it down. So sorry it is so short and not proofread. Please, by all means, tell me if there are mistakes.

It's basically all about masturbation.

* * *

He woke up the next morning to her moaning.

It was something that had happened before, once. It was a time a few years ago when she had tried to wake him up in the early hours of the morning.

It wasn't impossible to wake him up- he was a shinobi after all: he always was prepared. But when he would come home from physically draining missions (in the times where a trip to the hospital wasn't needed), he usually spent his final bout of energy giving Temari a good fuck so she would be satiated for a few days, and he could thus catch up on some much needed rest.

If she happened to be in Konoha when he came home, this was how it went, except for that one time when one go-round hadn't been enough, and she had felt the need to wake him up a few hours later to go again. Needless to say, he had awoken to her lying next to him, getting herself off.

This time was different though. When he woke up, he wasn't in bed with her. Hell, he wasn't even in the same room with her. But this time, though he had still woken up with the exasperated need to get her off himself, the usual craving of her moans was absent. Now, he just wanted her to stop.

The last time, he had given her shit for being so relentless and damn irritating while he was simultaneously sticking his fingers into her, feeling the incredible wetness on the pads and shafts of his fingers.

This time, Shikamaru only threw a pillow over his head, audibly groaned, and tried to fall back asleep.

He couldn't. Not until she stopped moaning.

Damn bitch.

Temari never moaned this loudly unless she was getting it good.

Which she probably wasn't, because really, how good can rubbing your clitoris be? No, to get it really good -which she only got when he was on the top of his game- you needed a cock thrusting into you, at least. Not fucking fingers.

Was she was doing it to make him jealous? To make him horny?

To make him lose.

But hell if he was going to give in. No, Shikamaru had a point to prove. She loved him.

…But really? She was having, what? Her second orgasm of the morning now? He concentrated, counting back. No, this was definitely her third.

He wasn't even _that _horny.

Christ! They had had, as Shikamaru cared to call it, a pretty great round last night. She had come multiple times then. Plus the orgasm last night as she jerked off in his bed with him on the couch, moaning his name. And now these?

She wasnted even _that _horny. _That _only happened when they'd been apart for too long. Not now. Not when he had been with her for the past three days. And previous to that, he had last seen her five days before when they accidentally bumped into one another at that inn in Water Country where they had shared a bed.

No, they'd been together a lot recently. She shouldn't be this horny.

She wasn't pregnant, and she wasn't on her period, so that wasn't making her hormones all funky.

No, he was right. There was no way she was _this _horny.

So, she _was _trying to make him jealous.

Oh, that sly little bitch.

Temari was, in every sense of the word, playing dirty.

He sighed, pushing off the blanket and getting off the cushions. They had had sex on this couch, more than one time. Actually, too many times.

He shouldn't sleep here anymore, it would be too taunting.

Then again, in the two years since she had bought him this apartment, they had pretty much done it on every impromptu surface, in which case, his whole flat was infected.

He groaned, "oh, fuck it."

He'd be sleeping on the couch for a good while.

Temari's moans grew louder. She was coming again.

Well, for all he knew, she was simply reading a book, moaning without any stimulation at all.

Faking it.

He clenched his fists. Never, _never, _in all his life, had the word "troublesome" held so much weight.

Shikamaru sat down again. The moaning had stopped. He knew that point. He knew her face. Lips red, sore; open. Arms at her sides; chest, breasts, heaving.

The apartment remained quiet.

Was it possible, possible at all, that she was right about him? About what she had said, last night? Could he not get himself off anymore? He hadn't tried, he hadn't tried in a long time.

Shikamaru was never the type for masturbation. He knew guys who did it multiple times a day. He didn't.

Of course, he had. Many times. But not recently. Not since he had been with Temari's division in the war and had had her with him for months. Not since then. He hadn't needed to.

Sex got other things off there minds. During that time, there were a lot of things they both wanted to get off their minds. He hadn't needed to get it done himself.

She was right, in that respect. The last time he had come outside of her, either her pussy or her mouth, had been a long time ago.

Questioningly, Shikamaru brought a hand down into his sweatpants.

He thought about her, in the other room, quiet now.

He was hard.

Shikamaru sighed, so annoyed at was he was about to do.

The knob turned, and Temari came out. Her face was flushed and her eyes bright, hair pulled up, pajamas half-heatedly buttoned- her eyes scanned the room.

She took one look at him, and burst out laughing.

"Yeah" she said again, as he hastily pulled his hand out, "good luck."

Shikamaru seethed.

* * *

**Review.** If I see that people are taking to the GAME story, i'll post the next part tomorrow, but if not, later and move onto another chapter.

* * *

A/N: So, I've been brushing up on my ShikaTema fanficition this weekend, trying to actually read other things and see how other people view the relationship. I've found a lot of good things, but if you have any recommendations, please give them to me.

Also, I've made it a personal assignment to review all stories i read. i thought this was great, until i realized that some people with multiple stories might end up with a shit ton of emails. But, hey, at least I'm trying.

Happy New Year All!

Don't forget to review with good things! Or bad. Or requests (I want more of those too!)

Greedy? Maybe a little.


	16. The Inn

Own no rights

I appreciate ALL reviews, but I'd like to specially thank: **Ali, Ariel, **and **GermanRasberries **for their awesome recommendations! Thank you guys, and keep it up!

But I'd also like to thank all of you who reviewed. It really does mean a lot.

This chapter is about how Shikamaru ultimately said those three forbidden words. it takes place 8 days before the game part 1.

enjoy.

* * *

Temari had it all planned. She would eat her food silently and drink her tea in peace as she spent quality time with herself.

It was her first night alone in weeks. Well, that wasn't true. It was her tenth night by herself. Only, those other nine had taken place in a small tent in the middle of the forest or on a boat to Water Country. That didn't meet her standard for quality time.

It was all Kankuro's fault, why she was so busy.

She didn't blame him. She felt awful for him. And she wanted to be there for her littler brother. She was more than glad to help him through it. But he had been moping around the town for almost a month now, even spending the night on her couch more than not (which was understandable, because god knew Gaara wasn't exactly a shoulder to cry on, but she needed her space. There was a reason she had moved out of the Kazekage's house in the first place).

No matter how in love he was, it had been a month. A goddamn month. He at least could have stopped crying by now.

But no.

Tenten had broken his heart, and although Kuro was such a 'boy' the majority of the time, he was too sensitive about that girl.

Of course, Tenten was right to break it off. Too much fighting was bad for a couple. Shikamaru fought with her a lot, but not like they did. They rarely had all out screaming matches, which is basically what was a nightly occurrence for her brother and her best friend, even it had always ended up with loud fucking.

And Kankuro should have seen it coming. But he didn't. And now Temari was suffering. Thus,

Temari had asked Gaara to take this mission for the alone time.

It was a fifteen-day mission, one that would land her in Konoha where she would be just in time to fulfill her annual Chunin exam meeting _plus _some other ambassador duties.

In all, tonight was going to be the start of a nice, relaxing few weeks.

That didn't happen. Not that she actually expected it to. But it didn't happen, regardless.

Instead, as she shut her tired eyes for a moment of pause, someone sat down across from her. Although she didn't know who it was, she didn't open her eyes to look.

That was a lie. She knew who it was already: a man, probably between the ages of eighteen and fifty. He was going to hit on her, say something about her being here alone, ask why, make her feel cared for her in the hopes that he would get laid.

She was wrong though, surprisingly.

He was seventeen. And the first thing out of his mouth wasn't about why she was here alone, hell, it wasn't even a greeting: "you're ear stopped bleeding a little while ago, but you should still bandage it." And he didn't have to hit on her in hopes of getting laid.

She looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Shikamaru?" She asked softly, eyes wide in surprise.

He was leaning back in the chair, hands still in his pockets, as she knew they probably had been since he walked over.

Temari put a hand to her ear, feeling the sharp sting. She had forgotten, ignored the pain into denial. It didn't even hurt that bad now that she was aware of it, but it was annoying. She had been cut on a fluke; a petty thief thought he could take on a jonin as highly skilled as her?

Yeah, right.

"Mari," he greeted easily, not really paying attention as he waved over the waiter who put a salad in front of him.

She gave a small smile. She hadn't seen him for almost two months. It might be the longest time they had been separated in the past few years. He had written her a few times, and she had replied, per usual.

Sure, they had just recovered from a war. But spending all this time away from him was hard, no matter how much her country needed her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, taking a bite of his dinner. He pushed his plate into the middle of the table in offering.

"I could ask you the same question."

She looked into his eyes, they were lost in thought. "Solo mission too, huh?"

He nodded, pulling his hands out of his pockets and laying them on the table. He ordered more food for himself as she had eaten most of his. After that, they ate in silence for bit, enjoying their food.

"I have a room" he said a while later. "I will bandage your ear."

She put down her glass and looked at him with the hint of a smirk on her face. "Are you trying to seduce me, Nara?"

He raised his head and gave her a full smirk. "Do I have to?"

They were quiet for a bit longer, and then: "Are you staying the night?" She nodded. "What time should you start out in the morning?"

She frowned. "Not long after dawn. I have to get to the Mist to deliver documents by nightfall."

"I'm on my way home," he said.

"I'm going to Konoha after this."

"Ah, yes, the meeting in five days. I would wait for you, after all, Konoha is on your way, but I can't; I'm needed as a sub at the academy for a few days."

"Hm, you teaching?"

He cocked his head, looking down at the table. "I enjoy it."

"You want to do that instead of teaching genin?"

"I've considered it."

She sipped her tea. "You never told me."

"You never asked." He snapped.

She just blinked at him, realizing, for the first time, that something was wrong. He was off somehow. Confusion, and subsequently worry, crept into her gut.

He gazed at her as he pulled out his wallet.

* * *

As she took off with the key to his room, Shikamaru ordered a drink.

It had been a stressful week.

He sipped.

Temari looked good, somewhat distracted. She was quiet tonight, which happened sometimes, but not like this. Usually, her mind kept to the topic; tonight, he had had no idea what she was thinking about.

He wondered if she remembered what had happened the last time they spoke. The time where he might have mentioned that he loved her- might being the key word here.

He hadn't actually said it. If he recalled properly, his exact words were: _Goddamn, Mari, I love it when you get mad._

So no, he hadn't said it. But he had mentioned that word. That stupid, stupid word. How could a four-letter word with one fucking syllable mean so goddamn much? Somehow though, it managed to. He wasn't sure if she had reacted at all. She didn't seem any different, and truthfully, her face hadn't altered at all the moment he said it. Maybe she hadn't heard him. Doubtful though. She was probably just going to ignore it. Like he wanted to. Like he tried to do. Like he couldn't do.

See, the problem was, it was a slip of the tongue. He had said the word without thinking. It had literally just slipped out. That word had never slipped out before. He had seen her mad more times than he could recall, and not once- not ever- had he said those words, much less thought them. Which, according to Shikamaru's logic, meant that it was true. He loved her.

That wasn't all though.

Choji sensed it too.

It was the night before he had said that to her.

They were at a benefit for something. She was there with her Gaara, greeting and conversing with the guests. He was watching her, which he tried not to do, but sometimes had trouble stopping.

He had told Choji about Temari's and his 'thing' a few months ago. But according to him he had always "figured you both were up to something. The way you act around her is different than other girls." So it wasn't surprising when Choji brought up Temari to him. It was just his words that surprised Shikamaru.

Temari, in that white, long dress with the high collar. He could see her breasts pretty nicely in that dress. He loved when she wore things like that. But really, he loved anything she wore. He thought about undressing her no matter what clothing she wore. He thought about that a lot.

He didn't realize he had been looking at her differently.

He had seen her wear things sexier than that dress. A lot sexier than that dress. But of those other times he had never looked at her the way Choji implied.

"Have you told her?" Choji had asked him as he watched her from across her room.

"Told her what?"

"That you're in love with her."

That, plus the slip of the tongue the next day: logically, it was true.

Of course, he never told her any of that. All his letters pretty much had the same context- _got back from a mission, everyone is uninjured _or _how are you? Alive? - _And tonight, when he saw her for the first time since, he hadn't said a word.

In truth, she didn't seem to remember.

Shikamaru wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He downed the last of his sake.

* * *

The room was large, but empty. A small dresser, a large bed covered in white and pink sheets, an old, underused television set, a wooden bathroom with a large tub, and an outside deck with two chairs and a small table in between. There was a small pack on the chair by the bed and his flak jacket draped over it. She brushed her fingers over the fabric of the vest for a second and then turned away and went over to the other side of the bed.

Temari took off her clothes first, and stuck them in the hamper where she knew someone would come wash them before morning. Then she got in the bath. Her plans for the evening had been altered when Shikamaru showed up, and although she was looking forward to a longer soak, she was content with only washing herself before getting out and waiting for him. Wrapping the complementary robe around her, she walked outside to watch what remained of the sunset.

The sunset itself was beautiful. It reminded her of the ones she had seen in Konoha. Calm, pink, utterly gentle. In Suna they were equally, if not more, mesmerizing, but she was used to those. The fiery reds and harsh rays of orange- they didn't affect her anymore.

The longer it took for Shikamaru to show up, the more worried she became. He had been acting weird ever since their last fight. It hadn't even a bad fight. And they had made up -three times- afterwards. But, if she remembered correctly, something had been wrong even then.

Was it possible-?

No. She couldn't believe that. He would never.

But... then again, it had been four years now. Four years of fooling around. That had to end sometime. You couldn't be fuck buddies forever.

And now he was finally old enough to really decide what he wanted. And he had told her, more than once, that she was sooo not his type. Far too pretty and far too annoying.

Was he going to... end things with her?

She was being stupid, selfish. A lot had happened in his life recently. How egotistical was she to think it was about her? Temari bit her tongue in frustration. He probably just needed a good, hard fuck.

But he didn't seem to be in the mood for that. He had actually eaten dinner. They never had enough time for dinner when there was a bedroom upstairs. Hell, if they were horny, and there was a closet, they wouldn't have eaten.

But he had.

Maybe she would just wait for him. Leave it up to him to speak. To explain, or not to. She might care about him more than most, and she knew him in ways no one else had yet the chance to, but she wasn't the only person in his life.

He had his parents. He had Choji. He had Ino. He had Kurenai and his godson. He would probably tell them before he told her. He often told her his problems, but that was pillow talk. It was easy, because she was from a different village. She wasn't affected by the gossip like anyone else would have been.

Temari sighed, rubbing her jaw. The more this line of thought continued, the closer she was to making herself sound like a slut- Shikamaru's whore.

Which was _so _far from true. But she didn't want to go there, regardless.

Yes, she would just wait for him.

The sun was almost gone by the time he came in, walking out to where she was.

He sat down in the other chair and leaned back in his classic fashion, hands behind his head. They were silent again for a bit, both lost in their thoughts: she anxious as to why he as so quiet, him, thinking about how his life had led him here, about to say these words to her.

Finally he spoke, "Temari" he said, looking at her. Her hair was up; the four ponytails making the sharp angle of her neck and face stand out. Not many people liked her hair. Too boyish, too odd, they said.

He liked it as much, if not more, than any other hairstyle she had worn.

The sun splashed across her face. Clouds were coming in from the east though, and he knew it would be stormy soon.

He looked at her again, thinking out his next words.

"Temari" he said again. She turned this time.

"Hn?"

His eyes were darker than normal. She felt her stomach tighten in anticipation over his next words.

But then her eyes widened in surprise.

"I want you make love to me."

She eyed him then, tilting her head, a mix between more worry and some relief twisting around in her painfully, but all she said was: "god love those hormones."

* * *

She pressed her head against his shoulder, feeling the orgasm build. It had to be what? Her fifth? Maybe. She had lost count a little while ago.

She didn't often feel it build. It usually just came like a punch in the gut. But not these. Not when he was going so slowly, it hurt. She had tried to make him go faster, to make him really pummel her, like usual. But he had refused, taking his time.

Which she guessed was an okay sign. It meant he wasn't mad at her. But whether it as just an amazing lay because it was going to be their last one? Well, she had no idea.

Either way, when he said 'make love to me' she hadn't assumed he was serious. Because right now, they were seriously _making love._

She fought the urge to gag. Ew, she screamed silently, but then was stolen from her thoughts as he touched her breast again.

She kissed his shoulder, her lips pressing, and whispering words into his skin. His name passed through her lips more than usual too. Little things. Meaningless lovelies.

Temari inhaled sharply, feeling her hips rise in a spasm. Her pussy was tender, sore. But he was so deep in her, that the feeling wasn't painful, just sharp and defined.

"Shit, Shikamaru" she said in a pant, knowing it was over. It was over now.

He knew it too, because a moment later, he leaned into her ear and began pushing in harder. She put her lips onto his hot, sweaty neck and almost found herself crying out just at the feeling of his quicker thrusts.

And then he came, saying the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard him say:

"God, I love you."

He came again and again inside her before collapsing.

Okay. That was not expected.

But she just grasped his back, holding him close as he softened inside her.

She kissing any skin she could, which right now happened to be his ear lobe. She felt the cool metal of his stud against her lips.

* * *

Temari woke up panicked.

The gust of wind that came through the windows was harsh, blowing her hair away from her face. She sat up rigidly, grabbing a sheet to cover her chest. Shikamaru lay beside her, his arm had been on her on her waist but now lay in her lap.

She gasped. Last night had actually happened. It hadn't been a dream.

He had said he loved her. Loved her?

She thought back.

Did he actually say that? No, she thought, that's impossible. That bastard wouldn't say something so... so stupid. And something so obviously untrue.

It was just sex. Always had been.

Just amazing, electrifying sex that had lasted well over the years.

What the fuck was he talking about?

Well, she mused. Didn't look like he was 'breaking-up' with her.

Another gust of wind came, forcing Temari to get up and shut the windows. It was cloudy out, and about to be rainy in the young hours of the morning. She turned on the lamp beside the bed and kicked Shikamaru. "Wake up, Shika" she said bluntly, kicking him again.

"Leave me alone," He mumbled, turning away from her.

Temari knew, probably better than anyone, how hard it was to wake him up. She had once gone down on him while he was asleep, and he still didn't have the decency to open his fucking eyes. Hell, one of the few times she had gotten him up had taken over ten minutes of her masturbating, waiting for him to do it for her.

But this was unacceptable. This he had to explain. _Now. _

"Shikamaru Nara" she said louder this time, leaning over to be directly above his ear. "I swear, if you don't answer me now, you _will_ regret it." She said through clenched teeth.

That was enough for him to open his eyes and face her, though she knew he was hardly awake. But this was all she was going to get, and for now, it was enough.

"What do you want, Mari" he muttered, trying to keep his eyes open.

She pulled her knees against her chest. "You said you loved me..."

He groaned and threw a pillow over his head, shadows emphasizing the strength in his lean arm.

"What do you mean by that?" She demanded, smacking his chest.

"Well" he grunted, moving the pillow away and finally beginning to wake up, "I am going to say, and this might be going out on a limb, but I think it means 'I love you'".

Secretly, he had been hoping it was a dream.

He hadn't meant to say it like that. Like before, a slip of the tongue.

Funny, how those things seemed to happen to him.

But now that it was in the open, he might as well admit it.

"You are such an asshole." She snapped, and he looked confused for a moment. "You can't just throw words around like that, Shikamaru!"

His eyes widened slightly. "You think I don't mean it, Temari?" He sat up on his elbows. "You think I would throw around such a meaningful word? I say it _because _I mean it, and _because _I wanted you to know how I feel."

She glared, words flying before she could stop them. "You don't have any right to say that to me! You don't know what love is, Shikamaru. Love is something we don't have. Something we _can't _have!"

Refusing to get show his anger, Shikamaru didn't move apart from sitting fully up. He just glared at her, possibly angrier than he'd ever been with her.

"You think I don't know what it means? Why can't we have it, Temari? Because it is too dangerous with our loyalties?"

She opened her mouth in retort, but quickly shut it again.

He continued, "or because it is too dangerous for _you_? Because you can't let yourself be vulnerable enough to let another person love you? You can't let anyone, least of all me, care about you like that?" He stopped short, taking a sharp breath.

They were silent for a second.

He looked into her eyes. The teal color was neither cold nor warm, just surprised. She was still mulling over his words, the power seeping into her skin.

Shikamaru finally moved after a few seconds, getting out of the bed and grabbing his pants, pulling them on hastily. She watched, still clutching the sheet to her chest, trying not to make any audible sound, including breathing.

The zipper made a noise as he pulled it up, breathing heavily to calm himself.

Silence again.

He looked at her. Her lips were swollen, her eyes wide and clear. Her cheeks were scarlet, and her hair damp around the scalp from the heat she had been feeling a few hours before. The shadows hid half her neck and part of her face, making it easier for him to use his jutsu.

She didn't struggle at all, as she sometimes did.

He wrapped the shadows around her body, squeezing her until she let out the breath she had been holding in a struggle to get more air. He let go, and she coughed.

Silence still.

And then: "Shikamaru" she whispered almost inaudibly.

He looked into her eyes again, this time met only with acceptance. She had listened, she had understood.

He took the band from his wrist and pulled back his hair.

She sighed, and angled her head with a small smirk. "You don't have to go acting like such a crybaby now- do you?"

He bit his tongue in retort, relieved that the argument had just passed.

She wasn't sure what had come over him, or if he really meant what he said, and what that meant for her. It changed a lot if he said that. It changed a lot if he meant it. And he was right, about everything. About what he said to her.

And it scared her, how well he knew her.

And right now, Temari had to forget that. She didn't want to think about that. She needed it all to go away. For his words to just disappear.

So what is he loved her? Nothing was going to happen, not now.

She would play it off.

And then she dropped the sheet.

He smiled, oblivious to all that had just happened in her head, and shut the windows before coming back to the bed.

"Temari" he said, scratching his head. "I love you." He came closer. "I love you." He straddled her. "I love you." He pushed her down and moved a few fingers into her. "I love you."

She laughed silently and put her hands against his hot chest. "Well crap, Shika, don't expect me to say it back."

He only smiled and looked into her eyes as she suddenly moaned. Already, she was so wet and warm, the feeling so slick and heated. He didn't know if that was left over, or she was horny now- but either way, he didn't care.

"Not now" he responded, taking his fingers out of her and licking them off. She watched and then crinkled her eyes.

"Ha, not ever. Good luck with getting me to say something that stupid."

Shikamaru just grinned, head against her neck as she moved her hips forcefully against him. She was obviously done with this sensual, slow sex.

I can wait, Shikamaru decided. I can wait a bit. He didn't think it would take more than a few weeks. A month at the most.

It would come in time, he thought.

After all, it took over four years for him to finally admit it.

Plus, she'd be in Konoha with him in less than a week. She would probably admit it then.

He could wait. "Yeah" he mumbled, looking her over in the shaded lamplight. "I can wait."

* * *

So... like it? hate it? Tell me. It's really easy. A few words at most.

Thank you all! the reviews for the game, part 2 didnt seem so great. i got some 50/50 feedback. i'll post it eventually but now am kind of self-conscious. god, i hat being like that. oh well, it happens

Again, review

and thank you


	17. Claims and Burns

A/n: Sorry it's been so long! I was very uninspired for a bit, and then when I was crazy inspired, I felt like everything I wrote wasn't good enough. I'm trying to re-work things. Thanks, and enjoy this. There was inspiration from a lot of different stories out there. And if anyone noticed, I re-did the summary and gave names to all the chapters.

**Claims and Burns**

* * *

Swinging her smaller fan –the one she carried when off field duty- off her back, Temari used one hand to hold the fan and mass amounts of files and folders, the other hand to hold the box of food she had brought.

Without the luxury of a free limb, Temari leaned against the door and tried to slide it open with her shoulder. It took a few attempts, but after a minute or so, she got a grip on it and felt the paper door budge.

Blowing a piece of stray hair off her forehead, she walked into the library.

"Hello?" she called.

An old man sitting on a bench to her right shushed her. She gave him a nod of apology, not in the mood to anger the civilians of an allied village. Angering the shinobi was fine, as long as she had a good reason to, but the people were the ones who mattered, you didn't want to have them upset with you.

So instead of calling out again, Temari walked forward through the stacks. She was pretty sure, had she not come in the back way, she would have found someone to direct her. But she had figured, since she had come through the back way last time, she would remember where to go.

Of course, last time she had been led around. She had also been a little tipsy and really horny- two things which did not allow much time to observe and memorize her surroundings.

But she was a jonin for Christ's sake! She was supposed to memorize any room in seconds.

She took a deep breath. She was neither tipsy nor horny right now, so it was easier to figure out where she was supposed to go.

And as she followed her mental trail through the stacks of scrolls and books, she found herself face to face with a very recognizable door.

So when help finally came, she did not need it.

"Temari-sama" a soft voice said. "Hello! I did not see you come in, is there anything I can help you with?"

Temari looked at the slight woman, with her wire rimmed glasses and modest clothing. Personally, she had always found Shiho kind of cute- in a sexy-librarian sort of way.

"Oh, yes, I guess I accidentally came through the backdoor." Temari said sheepishly, completely lying through her teeth. "My apologies, and no, I don't need any help. Thank you."

"Oh, well, okay." the woman said, her hands fidgeting, "And I'm sorry, but there is no food allowed in here."

Temari smiled, "It's not for me." She said, as if that were an excuse.

There was a short silence.

The woman didn't say anything, so Temari continued. "Actually, I am bringing breakfast to someone. There is some extra food in here if you're hungry. It's so early out, I can't imagine you've eaten."

Shiho shook her head, "Thank you, thank you. But I am not on break for another thirty seven minutes."

"Ha ha, yes" Temari said, taking a few steps away, "Nara has mentioned that you are very diligent about your work."

And then Temari saw something not unusual, but relatively unexpected. Had Shiho not learned anything from the last time they'd met? It had been pretty obvious then- that Shikamaru had already pursued other interests.

The girl was blushing. Her face so red, and breath so quick, Temari was sure she was going to faint.

Temari just frowned, and then took a few steps away from the girl and closer to the door of his office.

"I… I'm going to go. I'll be in here if you need me." With that, Temari turned away from the girl and closed the space between herself and the door.

It took a few seconds, which seemed to be the amount of time Shiho needed to recover enough to say,"w-wait, you can't go in there. Shikamaru-san is working."

"He works for me" Temari called, not turning around, rather opening the door.

But she turned around before she could see him look at her and say, under his breath but loud enough for Shiho to hear across the room, "Mari?"

"See, I even brought breakfast so he could finish work without a break."

There was a loss of breath from the librarian and a long sigh from Shikamaru, whom was clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry" Shiho was able to choke out, "but you-"

"It's alright," Shikamaru said, groaning a bit. "She's with me."

Temari turned on her heel, satisfied, and the shut the door. She set the food and her fan down on the table, and then looked up at her partner. Shikamaru was on the other side of a round table, hands leaning against the wood, sleeves rolled up to the middle of his looked at her, waiting for an explanation as to why she was here.

She shrugged, "I need you to finalize and sign off on my reports."

Of course, he sighed, she couldn't have given them to him last night.

"Fine" he said after a moment of eyeing her. That skirt was really too tight. From this view, it showed off her round hips, but if she happened to turn a bit sideways, it would show off her ass.

He took the files from her outstretched hands. "I have finished about thirty percent, which you can do now." They finished exchanging papers and then sat.

"I brought you breakfast."

"I heard" he muttered, already immersed in the open file in front of him. "You can be a real bitch sometimes."

She chuckled, "well, if you didn't take a four hour breakfast break, I wouldn't be forced to make sure you finished your work on time."

"If you managed to spend what was supposed to be a working night without taking off your top, I'd have finished already."

"Hm." She could argue it, but he was right. If he hadn't acted on it, she would have done something else to get him to stop working and join in other, more recreational, but what could be considered foreign alliance-bonding, activities.

Temari watched him, eyes wandering over pages. She had seen him like this often. Many times, actually. But usually, when they were together, the times she actually took a few minutes to observe him, was when he was lying next to her, either asleep or talking, but always when he was sweaty.

But Shiho, she always saw him like this. And this was, without a doubt in her mind, when he was sexiest. Even if he was fully clothed and completely ignoring her. It wasn't surprising that Shiho had a crush on him.

But it seemed, if possible, that as time went on, the crush grew. She had even offered a spare room in the Cryptanalysis Squad office to use for whatever work he had, which for now was working with as a cryptologist, ambassador, guide, and chunin proctor. Of course, he planned on giving most of this up when his godson came of age to become a genin- at which time, he would join the academy. Anyways, the crush grew; which seemed odd, because his relationship status had been made pretty clear.

Of course, she never could understand why someone would like him if they had never had sex with him. She never would have fallen in love with him, probably never even like him, had she not let him into her bed.

It wasn't surprising though. For many women, he had all the right qualities. Though personally, those qualities (in short: everything about him) happened to annoy her.

What really was bugging Temari, was the feeling that had suddenly come on when she saw Shiho blush. A feeling of territory came over Temari, a small emotion that grew as Shiho's crush grew. As if she had stake her claim. Prove that she had what Shiho wanted.

Jealousy was too intense a word to use.

Temari wasn't _jealous._ She didn't think Shikamaru would go for Shiho. Sure, she would have been perfect for him (completely 'un-troublesome' and all his shit like that). But so were many more attractive and more able women. So she wasn't jealous. More… territorial.

Of course, Shikamaru was completely oblivious to this.

So instead of dragging him out of the office and kissing him to prove that Shikamaru was already involved, Temari let it go.

Anyways, she genuinely liked Shiho. She had even given this office (the one with an incredibly sturdy desk that had held them well the last time she was here), and was always helpful in decoding whatever Shikamaru needed to decode.

So, instead of doing anything rash, Temari took a seat across from him, grabbed the pen he offered her, and began working.

* * *

It was almost an hour before either of them spoke.

Well, screamed actually.

It was more a squeal really. A short yelp of surprise as her tea knocked over.

"Shit" Temari whispered harshly, biting her lip and looking up at the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" He asked, standing up quickly.

She gave a sharp nod, taking deep breaths. Her leg burned; the skirt too thin to keep much of the scalding water off her.

He pushed back his chair and walked over to her. "How hot was the water?" He asked her, but answered the question himself as he dipped a finger in the puddle on the table.

He snapped his hand back, putting his pointer in his mouth. "Damn" he said, voice muffled by his hand.

Temari leaned back, hands on her right thigh where the water had fallen. Hurt like a bitch.

Shikamaru pulled his finger from his mouth, blew on it for a moment, and then looked back down at her.

"That must be painful."

"You _think_?" She said through her teeth.

He kneeled down next to her. "Let me see."

God, did it burn. It hadn't been much liquid that had fallen on her, but it had been enough to leave a mark. She lowered her head, glancing at him, teeth enamored in her lower lip. "Excuse me?"

"Let me have a look."

"What?" She snapped, "Are you a medical-nin now?"

Shikamaru sighed. She was obviously in pain. Her brow scrunched, hands gripping her thigh, face heated, beginning to sweat. "Temari" he said slowly, "let me have a look."

There was a moment of pause before she took a few deep breaths and nodded.

Putting his hands on her knees, he mumbled something incoherent and then began to move his fingers up, brushing the hem of her skirt and beginning to pull it up her thighs.

She took a sharp gasp, but slid further down in the chair to make it easier for him.

As her skirt raised higher, he began to see her tan skin turn redder and redder. Finally, as the clothing came off her upper leg, she let out a small whimper, and Shikamaru saw what was surely the worst of her burn.

The skin below her fishnet was tomato-colored, and even slightly white as it began to blister.

"Woman" he whispered in frustration, pulling her skirt up the rest of the way.

"Shut up" she said between deep breaths.

"Do you want me to go find Ino? She should still be in bed."

Temari shook her head. "It's not bad enough for medical attention."

Shikamaru pushed her skirt up a bit more and reached into the waistband of her fishnets, pulling down to peel them from the burnt skin.

Instinctively, a hand gripped his shoulder, squeezing tightly as she gave a pretty loud moan.

He knew her well enough to know that she never moaned like this unless she was getting it good or when she was in large amounts of pain.

"Let me go get Ino" he said again, studying the mess that was her leg. "It's a bad burn. A bad first degree at least, but I'm betting she'd rule it second.

"No" she said again. "It's okay. Just give me a minute."

He sighed, but didn't disobey her; instead, he continued to pull off the fishnets.

As if suddenly realizing what was going on, Temari smacked his hands away.

"Shikamaru!" she snapped, "stop that!"

He frowned, "If you won't let me find a medic, then I have to help you myself. I can't do that if you don't let me take these off."

She leaned forward, gripping his neck and pulling his face to hers, so close, their noses almost touched. "Nara" she said with as much venom as she could muster, "if you do that, I'll be _naked._"

He cocked a brow. "Temari, that is nothingI haven't seen before."

Temari leaned back, pointing to the door, "I know _that._ But _she _hasn't!" She said in a loud whisper.

Shikamaru had to resist from rolling his eyes. "Unless you plan on stripping and then parading around the public library in the nude, I don't think there is a chance of Shiho seeing your pussy."

She bit her lip again, thinking it over, and then nodding. "Okay, just go slowly."

He slipped his finger into her waistband again and began slipping them down. He had passed the worst part of the burn by now, and then the rest was easy.

"I need to get you some ice, Temari." He said, eyeing the burn.

"I'm _fine, _Nara." She murmured.

He took a breath. She was being stupidly stubborn.

"No, I need Ino" he said, louder this time, standing up and away from Temari. Shikamaru glanced out the window and then walked back over to the door, grabbing the handle and twisting.

"Shika" Temari said, her breathing starting to quicken, "please."

The desperation in her voice made him stop, turn around, and go back to kneel in front of her. Without looking up at her face, he grabbed her left knee and swung her leg over the armrest of the chair, spreading her legs and isolating the burnt thigh.

With that, he reached for her hips and scooted her further down the chair to bring her leg closer.

"What are you-"

She stopped as he put his mouth to her leg and brushed his hot tongue atop her searing skin. Feeling the heat against his mouth, Shikamaru grimaced. This was going to scar, she hadn't gone to a medic, and now, it was too late to receive the necessary immediate treatment that would ensure her burn disappear within a few days.

Pulling his lips from her, he let out a long breath, blowing on her wet skin. She gasped, scooting down the chair a few more inches, closer to the coolness escaping his mouth.

"Better?" He whispered, leaning down again to drag his tongue up the length of her thigh.

She nodded, but he couldn't see, looking down at the spot where he was directing his exhalation.

She shut her eyes, leaning her head back and taking deep breaths. Shikamaru repeated his movement again and again, grabbing the soft skin on either side of her leg to make sure she stayed in place. His tongue traced over her mark, the more the pain went away, the more the jolts of his mouth so high on her thigh sent waves of pleasure to her groin.

Finally, Shikamaru pulled away, tilting his head as he observed the burn.

It was definitely less red- the color not so bright or infuriating anymore, but the blister was beginning to appear, and although he could see on her face that the pain had dulled, he had no doubt it would come back.

Temari noticed he stopped, and opened her eyes looking down at him.

"The skin has stopped burning; now it will begin to heal." He noted, eyes flickering up her body to her face. As an afterthought, he added, "you were serious about being naked."

"It will scar" she stated, looking down at the mark. "And yes, I did not wear underwear today."

When the words left her mouth, his eye brows perked up. He had known that since the moment he pulled down her fishnets, but the thought hadn't really occurred to him until now. Reaching up, he cupped one of her breasts, then looked up at her, hand still holding her flesh.

"No bra either."

She didn't reply. His other hand, the one not slowly beginning to massage her breast, began stroking over her burn, going so softly, she felt the pain begin to lessen more than it already had. Now, what had been a aching hurt, was beginning to dull to the point of only a gentle throb.

"Shikamaru" she said, as he leaned down to her leg again, only this time, licking her inner thigh rather than the burn. His hands fell to her hips.

He stopped, pulling his lips an inch or so away from her skin. She looked down at her face, caught on the inside of her leg. "Either I go find medical attention now" he said, "or you ignore the pain."

Temari bit the inside of her cheek, knowing how wrong option two was, but knowing full well that she would agree to it. He hadn't needed to even ask.

Realizing her answer as she slid her hips further down to bring her pussy to his mouth, he smirked. "Don't moan too loudly" he said, before brushing his tongue out and dragging it across the junction between her legs.

Temari's breath hitched, and she threw her head back, hands grabbing onto either armrest, fingers squeezing the wood.

He licked her again before moving higher to lap and nip at her clit.

Shikamaru was making it difficult to get enough breath in. Temari panted harder, the oxygen not quite making it to her head. Her lungs burned worse than her leg, her throat had gone dry while the lower part of her had become slippery and wet.

His lips played with her clit softly, teasingly. And when Temari couldn't take it anymore, she grabbed the back of his head and pushed him into her, hard.

His tongue entered her, jutting in and twisting around.

Temari clawed at his hair, a moan escaping her lips. She was sure, if he kept this up for a few more seconds, she would clamp around his scratchy tongue and come harder than a recent burn victim rightfully should.

Luckily, Shikamaru pulled out, replacing his tongue with a finger, spreading her out more before sticking another finger in.

His mouth went back up to her clit, this time, sucking harder, circling his tongue in varied places until he finally moved to that spot he knew so well- the spot that made her buck.

And buck she did, almost pulling his hair out as she tried to keep still, his fingers continuing to push into her with a steady pace.

Her breathing continued to get heavier, hands going back to grip the armrests until her fingers turned white.

"O-oh, Shikamaru" the moaned as she finally came, sooner than expected, body clamping around him as he kept pushing into her, riding out the wave.

He couldn't hide the grin as he pulled his face away from her, wiping his mouth on the back of his clean hand. It had been a while since he'd gone down on her, and he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed it.

But then he caught sight of her leg, and his brow furrowed with concern. "Are you still in pain?"

She shook her head sharply. "I'm pretty sure I can't feel my legs."

He gave a small laugh, reaching up to grab her head and kiss her lips softly.

It would have been a completely sappy moment, had they been interrupted.

When he sat back down and she leaned back in her chair, the door shot open, the lock breaking.

Ino stood in the doorway, her hair mussed and face heavy with tiredness, only her eyes were bright and awake. She was still in her nighty.

"Shika!" She cried, running into the room before she noticed the scene around her, and quickly ran the other direction. "Jesus, you two! Can't you keep it together in public!"

Simultaneously, Temari yelled something along the lines of, "Get out, Ino!"

Shikamaru: "Ino!"

The door had slammed shut as Ino ran out, calling from the middle of the cryptology room, "Shiho said you asked for me! Do you even know how gross that is?"

A few moments later, Shikamaru opened the door sheepishly, his hair all back in place and face still blank. This would be the second time Ino had walked in on them in a twelve week period. He didn't have to deal with convincing her she was mistaken- they had already gone through that.

"Temari spilled her tea on her leg, there was a burn. I was asking her to go see you so you could treat her. She will be ready in a second, if you wouldn't mind having a look."

Ino cringed. "You are disgusting, do you know that?"

"I thought it was pretty hot" Kiba called from the desk, where he was standing with Shiho, who luckily, had been obscured from the view.

Shikamaru huffed, but continued looking at his teammate with a small plead in his eyes.

"Fine," Ino said after a moment, "I'll look at your girlfriend's leg."

"She's not my girlfriend," Shikamaru murmured, but Ino either didn't hear, or ignored the comment as she walked towards the office where a fully-clothed Temari was stepping out.

She looked from Ino, who was giving her a 'really?' sort of expression, to Shikamaru, who shrugged his shoulders, as if saying 'oh well', to Kiba, who, even though it was clear he had just gotten out bed, was waggling his eyebrows with excitement, to Shiho, who was just staring perplexedly at her.

"Are you alright, Temari-sama?" Shiho asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Shikamaru made her feel _all _better." Kiba said, crossing his arms and smirking.

"What do you mean?" Shiho asked.

As Ino ushered her back into his office to take a look at the burn, Temari turned around with glee, happy that for once, Shikamaru was wondering how smart Shiho really was.

Plus now, she wouldn't have to stake a claim.

* * *

So, I tried. Telll me what you think. As in: REVIEW

* * *

Two things:

1. I am working on a few things with Shiho in them- this was just kind of an introduction to that. I think Shika and Tem do genuinely like her- she just trouble realizing that it isn't in the way she wants it to be. If you like me using her, say so, if not, I'll make some of Tem's jealousy stories OC. One for sure will be.

2. I haven't really said this yet, but I LOVE INO. I don't think she is a bitch or is interested in Shikamaru or anything like that. I think Temari is jealous that she was never able to know Shikamaru the way Ino did, but she really loves the friendship and camaraderie between them.

On Ino's relationships (Kiba in bed moment):

In my world, and in this fic, (most of these aren't in written chapters yet), Ino had trouble with boys. In case anyone is wondering: we (I) don't know who she lost her virginity to. Sometime afterwards though, she sleeps with Kankuro once before he and Tenten begin dating. Then she falls MADLY in love with Kiba, and the two date for four years. When they break up, it is mutual and they remain friends. She dates Choji briefly, but only see's him as a brother, and eventually she sleeps with Shikamaru (the Breakup), before admitting she is in love with Sai, and when he realizes this, they sleep together, get pregnant, and get married.

Rambling there, but if this helps clear her story out of this un-chronological mess of ShikaTema chapters, then you're welcome.

So yes, Kiba had spent the night at her place when Shiho came to get her.


	18. Izuka

A/N: Had trouble updating lately (fanficition error), and would like to thank **introperv **for the help with getting everything back!

I'm trying to rewrite old chapters, and so far I've only edited the first one, and when trying to do the second, I got pissed and deleted it. I just feel like it didn't fit. So I'll spend more time re-working it before I post it again.

I ALSO just wrote another excerpt from this story, this time it is Neji and Tenten. It's a two part, and everyone should read it. And review. Thanks.

Okay, this chapter brings up some of Temari's past, which we haven't seen much of. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter XVIII: Izuka- Ages 16 and 19 respectively (only in the part about them though)

* * *

She didn't like him because he was attractive. Looks weren't important. Really.

She liked him because he was smart.

And not just smart. But _smart. _Brilliant, even.

Strong too. Heavy muscles that intertwined and veins that ran up his forearms in a way that just made her breath catch.

And that dimple- good god that dimple when he smiled (and he was always smiling at her).

Okay, so the looks definitely contributed. He was, after all, stunningly attractive.

Cut- that was the best way to describe him. Rigid, washboard-hard abs, broad shoulders, short brown hair accenting his strong jaw and glinting eyes, and those _lips_: lips that have no right being on a man.

Temari could name at least six other girls with crushes on him, and she couldn't name anyone who found him unattractive. Even Kankuro had a positive input, after she finally got him to say more than "I'd have his back", he had said "I can appreciate his contribution to our gene pool."

And it was a _damn fine _contribution.

But he wasn't just handsome and smart and strong. He was kind too. He talked a lot, had amazing stories capable of enchanting anyone who listened. And chivalrous while still being feminist: he held open the door for her, footed the bill, but didn't dare pull out her chair, or make her feel less significant.

He was kind and gentle while still manly and sharp.

Put simply: Izuka was perfect.

And she was –at least she thought, at the time- in love with him.

He was fifteen at the time.

He asked her out one morning before he went on an S-rank mission. She had been walking down the street on her way to see her father. He ran up to her, put a hand on her arm, and gave her that smile.

She said yes of course. Two months, she said she'd wait.

She was thirteen. It was going to be her first date. It was the first time she'd wanted to be on a date.

When his mission ended two months later, and when they met again, he asked her if she was still waiting for him.

She told him she was.

He asked why.

She said "because you're worth it."

A few days later she kissed him. It was just a brush of lips, but it was the most intimate contact she'd ever had, with anyone.

After that, he held her hand while they walked in the street.

One day he asked her what her goals were. She said she wanted to be a kunoichi. A real one, she said. She had been born one, but had been forced to protect her brothers as best she could while still maintaining her duties as an almost-princes. Her training had been pushed to the side. She had gone slower than her brothers. Slower than Gaara, because training was all he did.

She didn't raise her siblings. She wasn't always there for them. But she had tried to be, and she wanted to be. But she was only a child. They understood that.

And Izuka understood that.

That very afternoon, Izuka had requested to be taken off all missions that would land him in foreign lands so he could help her with all her work. He had requested this to the jonin-leader, who, deciding to make a deal with the Kazekage, Temari's father, had assigned her and her brothers a genin team leader, and that was how she got Baki.

The best thing about Izuka was his patience. He was snappy with everyone but her. And he always accepted her harshness, and, being Temari, she was always so harsh.

Two months into their relationship and they began to become sexual.

They made out. She was fourteen, he was sixteen.

They made out a lot.

It was during this time that he introduced her as his girlfriend, even though it was already pretty obvious.

A few months later, she reciprocated: introducing him to her father not as a ninja, but as her boyfriend.

Her father liked him. He told her she was finally doing something right in her life.

That night, as a thank-you, she gave her first blow job. He told her where to lick, where to suck, and what to do.

And she liked it.

The next week, he reciprocated.

And she liked that too.

They broke up after nine months together. He dumped her, he said, because she wouldn't put out.

It had been out of the blue. Sure, he had tried to have sex with her a few times, but each time, she explained that she wanted to wait. She just wasn't ready yet.

She hadn't thought he cared.

Wasn't oral sex pretty great? Didn't it have the basic same result?

Why wasn't that enough?

He broke her heart, or so she thought, at the time. Really, the rejection had hurt. But the further away she got, she realized that she had never really been _in _love with him. She jut liked him, a lot.

They didn't talk for a few more months. But then, he came back to her. He asked her out again.

"You said once, that I was worth it." He said.

But she didn't say yes again.

They compromised. Friends now, and that was all.

So, when Baki first deemed her and her siblings to be ready for the Chunin exams, Izuka was there to see her off to Konoha. And when she came back, a successful chunin, he was there to take her to a celebratory dinner.

And they were friends. And he was perfect. And she found herself falling in love all over again.

He bought her an apartment.

She was wealthy, but he came from money too. So he bought her a place for a belated-fifteenth birthday gift.

"You should move out of your place, you need your privacy." He had said to her. "You're a woman now, Temari."

And after that, they weren't friends.

They were together again, casually. She still fooled around with other men, especially during her ambassador duties. He had other women who slept with him because he was perfect.

But he only wanted Temari.

And he wanted more. He wanted more that she couldn't give.

But she thought she was ready. She always thought she could. And when she started going to Konoha all the time, she thought it might help give her perspective.

And it did. One day, she came back deciding to do it.

She decided that she was in love with Izuka. There was no other explanation. Her dreams had been telling her this by giving her images and fantasies of having sex with another, much less appealing man.

She knew it was time to give it up. He wanted it. She wanted the images of someone else to go away.

So she said yes.

And they did. Or tried. They tried, as they kissed, and he put his hands up her dress, and she felt his erection between her legs.

And then she said no. It wasn't right. Something wasn't right. And she tried to leave. And then the most perfect man in the world pressed her to the door and grabbed handsfuls of her dress, kissing her back and her rear.

He was in love with her, he murmured into the clothing. He wanted her so badly.

But it wasn't right. And she said no. And he got angry. And he left. And then, they were never friends again.

And then she realized, that he had tried to force her against a door.

And then Izuka wasn't the most perfect man anymore.

* * *

She was yelling at him about something. Something she couldn't remember at this moment, but if she were right, he had probably been being an asshole a few seconds ago. And she had tried to leave, she remembered that. She remembered stomping around and grabbing the door knob ready to pull it open when he slammed her body against it.

And now here they were, her breasts and stomach pressed against the door of her room while Shikamaru held handfuls of her dress in his hands, on his knees, kissing her backside, her thighs.

And she remembered, once, almost four years ago, she had been held up in this very same position in this very same room wearing a very similar dress with a very different man.

He kissed his way up her back, through her clothes she couldn't feel his lips, and yet the knowledge made her stomach turn somersaults.

Shikamaru's mouth nipped at her ear, his hot breath wetting her neck, sharp teeth stinging her flesh. She moaned, fire igniting in her groin, pulsating.

She lifted her arm up and back to grab the back of his neck, pushing his head, his lips, to her neck.

With his knowledge that Temari wasn't going to leave, he grabbed the dress at her hips and raised the hem up, pulling down her underwear as he did so.

Why was it Shikamaru? She had been crazy about Izuka for her whole childhood, but had refused to sleep with him. He had been sweet, and gentle, and would have taken her virginity like a lover should. Shikamaru hadn't even asked. He hadn't been gentle or sweet- more rough and forceful.

She had been okay with being Izuka's girlfriend.

She would smack Shikamaru if he ever mentioned that word.

Izuka was more attractive, kinder, more motivated, taller, not skinnier than her.

Shikamaru was….smarter. That was about it.

Shikamaru was a crybaby, a jerk, a chauvinist pig, and she was completely madly crazy about him.

Izuka was nice to her. She didn't think she could go thirty-six hours in Nara's presents without hearing the words "bitch, troublesome, or woman" come out of his mouth. Usually in the same sentence.

And as Shikamaru found he couldn't bend her over a door, and decided it was too troublesome to go find a table or something, he just turned her around, lifted one of her legs 'round his waist for better access, and pushed himself inside, earning a growl from him and a small yelp from her. Hard, up against the door to her bedroom, he began pounding into her, hearing her moan into his mouth as their teeth banged.

She had always said no to Izuka. To the most perfect, most amazing romance a girl could wish for. She had no doubt, had she said yes, that they would still be together.

And yet, she hadn't thought twice about it when Shikamaru pushed her down on a bed that first time. She hadn't even had a doubt, whereas her mind was filled of them with Izuka.

And now, here she was with Shikamaru, fucking against her door. And as she remembered Izuka wanting to do this exact thing with her, she was happy to feel _his _hands gripping her thigh and breast, _his _tongue doing unmentionable things to her neck, _his _cock making her feel this euphoric, and most of all, happy to hear _his _whispered words and panting breath as she brought pleasure to him.

Because when she pleasured Izuka, it was nothing like pleasuring Shikamaru.

With her perspective now, as Shikamaru pinched her to let her know he was coming because he honestly couldn't find the breath for the words, Temari realized that she had been wrong.

Izuka _had _been perfect- even when trying to pressure her into bed. He had been everything she ever wanted.

And Shikamaru Nara was anything but perfect.

But she had heard his perception of the perfect woman more than once… but he wasn't coming inside that woman this second.

She laughed to herself as he slumped against the wall beside her, falling down to sit on the floor, pants around his ankles.

"You are an annoying bitch sometimes" she heard him murmur, running a hand through his hair.

Temari knew, in that instance before she smacked his head, that she had made the right choice.

There wasn't even a doubt.

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So, NejixTen, read.

And although Izuka is completely OC, I am thinking of incorporating more characters in. I mean, like having more instances hanging around with Tenten or Ino and shit like that. Okay, tell me what you think.

Review, I am telling you, Review!


	19. Sur La Touche

Okay, enjoy and review.

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Chapter XIX: _Sur la Touche_- Ages, 16 and 19, respectively

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Shikamaru gripped his hand around the cool brass knob of his door. It was hot out, and the feeling of the cold metal against his palm sent small shivers up his spine.

Was he ready to do this? It was the right thing to do, and something that should be done. Hell, it wasn't supposed to mean anything. It was just a convenience.

But that hadn't meant that he hadn't been thinking about this for weeks, debating on whether it was a good idea since she had broken down the door during her last visit.

"You could have left the goddamn window open!"

"Temari, it's eight below outside!"

"What if I wanted to come in?"

"You didn't even tell me you were coming to Konoha. Anyways, it's not like you couldn't use the fucking door."

"I just assumed you locked it. What kind of jonin would leave his front door unlocked?"

That was March. Now, it was the beginning of June, and Shikamaru had been leaving a lot of windows open. But that wasn't the point. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened last time- the shattering of wood waking him up at three in the morning. He hadn't even gotten laid for hours after that because Temari had gotten too many fucking splinters.

"What's taking so long?" She snapped. He turned around and shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. She raised her eyebrows, arms crossed.

"You want to go get something to eat? I'm hungry." Shikamaru asked, face blank.

"No" she said slowly, taking a few steps closer to the doorway. His apartment building was large and open, his door only accessed from a balcony, like in those cheap hotels downtown. It wasn't exactly a cheap place, but for the large size of it, Shikamaru was getting a great deal.

A breeze waved through her hair, ruffling her robe. "You want go to have sex? I'm horny." She said, mocking him with complete seriousness.

He shrugged again. He had promised himself days ago, the minute he found out she was coming, that he would do it when she came home with him. She would come home with him, if not right away, then eventually. So it was inevitable. Whether he wanted to or not, it was going to happen.

But that didn't mean he couldn't prolong the inevitable.

"Then let's go to the embassy." He took a few steps away from his door.

"Look" she said impatiently, "if you don't drop your pants within the next few minutes, I _will_ take them off for you."

He sighed, glanced up to the ceiling so she couldn't see him mutter "troublesome."

"Shikamaru" she warned, "I'm serious."

"Good god, woman" he said, looking back down at her. "Your libido is astounding."

"Nara" she warned again, this time in a lower, much sexier tone.

He just stared at her.

She crossed her arms.

There was a silence for a few moments. And then Temari stepped forward, grabbed the front of his pants and pulled him closer so their breath mingled.

"Shikamaru" she said, looking up at him with a small smirk on her lips. Her fingers slipped inside the waist of his pants, brushing along his skin as she leaned up to kiss him. Their lips met briefly. "Let me inside" she whispered, fingers beginning to undo the button.

Shikamaru pulled his head away and sighed. It was hard to prolong things when she was already beginning to trace his slowly bulging crotch with the pads of her fingers. It was harder as she pressed her heavy breasts against his chest, lips so close to the warm skin of his neck.

Slowly, her tongue came out, licking his pulse. His breath faltered.

Yeah, this hesitation wasn't going to work.

Instinct taking over, he grabbed her chin and pulled her lips to his, wrapping his hands around her to grab her rear and pull her up and into him.

She laughed at his sudden action as he backed her up to the railing of the balcony, pushing her against it.

She reached into his hair, pulling his head sideways to allow better access to his mouth. Within moments, tongues were sucking tongues, lips wet and warm. It was pretty hot kissing for being in public around noon.

"Shikamaru" she said breathlessly as he moved down to nip at her neck. "Take me inside."

This time, he didn't hesitate. Detaching himself from her, he turned to the door.

But again, when his hand touched the cool knob, he froze.

She waited, and seeing he wasn't opening the door, threw her hands in the air and pushed him out of the way.

"What's your problem? It's not like you don't want me," she snapped, eyeing his pants.

Shikamaru sighed, tilting his head and rubbing his neck. "Temari" he murmured.

She tried the door, "You locked it? You never lock your door. What's in there that you don't want me to see?"

"Temari" he said again.

"Your house is never messy," she said to herself, thinking it over. "So, what, do you have another girl in there or something?"

His brows furrowed. "Why w- no, I don't. I just-"

"Do you even know how much of a turn off you are being right now?" She snapped again, anger growing. "_Why _won't you let me in?" She took a deep breath, and then in a whiny voice, "Shikamaru, I just want to have sex."

"Temari."

"What?" She said sharply, glaring at him.

He gave a long sigh, rubbing his neck. She always had to make everything difficult.

But he was going to give in. He was making it into something it wasn't by prolonging it. It was a gesture of simplicity- he was just making life easier for the both of them; and whatever fears or qualms he had about that must be hidden if she was to believe that he was sincere in the fact that what he was about to give her meant nothing.

He gave it one more silent second before slipping his hand into his vest.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out something enclosed in his fist. Shikamaru held out his arm, and dropped the object into her open palm.

Her wet mouth fell open slightly as she stared at the brass key in her hand. "Shikamaru…" she said wearily.

He _had _to make it nothing. It wasn't anything. Really.

So why was this so difficult?

He inwardly cursed himself before responding in a bored tone, "It'd be easier if you didn't knock down my door again."

She looked up defensively, "Hey, I apologized and paid for a new one." Her brows creased then, and she looked down at her hand again and then back up to his face. "I… I can't. We're not…"

"Temari" he said, biting his cheek, "I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend or any shit like that." He eyed her, and then relaxed, grabbing her fingers and curling them over the key. "Now, you can get away with raping me in my sleep without waking me up to get inside."

The corners of her lips curled slightly, but then fell into a hard line.

"I just don't think-"

"Temari" he said sternly, stepping closer. "Take the key."

They were both silent for a long time, before he let go of her hand and stepped away.

"You promised yourself you'd give me the key when I came home with you, didn't you? It's why you didn't let me in."

Shikamaru shrugged. "You got here an hour ago, I thought I had more time before we slept together." He shrugged again, "You really shouldn't wear such short dresses."

She smiled a bit, relieving him of his silent worry. "I don't really rape you in your sleep. I can't make you hard." She stuck the metal into the lock and pushed open the door.

"Hey" he said, "it's been rape for the past two years. I'm only sixteen; you're an adult."

"Baby" she said, stepping inside.

"Hag" came his response.

She grinned to herself, pulling off her sash and short black robe. Although she wouldn't admit it, because clearly the key meant nothing to him, having the object in her possession made the apartment feel different.

Maybe it was the idea that she was allowed in anytime?

Or that he trusted her enough to let her have access?

Either way, there was something different.

But she stopped focusing on that when he stepped up behind her, putting his hands on her thighs and rubbing them over her hips, to her waist, and down again, lips on her neck.

Yet, as she felt him turn around and lead her into the bedroom, she realized why this all suddenly felt different.

It was because Shikamaru was wrong in what he was asking.

Keys weren't for people like her.

They were for girlfriends.

And Temari was most certainly _not _the girlfriend.

So, when she felt his long hair brush her face as he laid her down, she reached into her pocket to slip the key from her robe and let it fall to the floor, hoping Shikamaru would be to preoccupied to notice.

Because she just wasn't ready.

But even with his lips around her nipple and the sounds of her groans in his ears, he was able to hear the clatter of the metal hitting the floor.

It means nothing, he wanted to tell her. But he didn't. It was her choice.

And he was okay with that, because when he was cleaning his room the next week, there was nothing left behind his bed.

So yeah, he was okay with that.

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edit 12/28/12: okay last chapter!

I WANT to come back and edit all of these (because atm they're that embarrassing first fic attempt and i pretty much used all of my pet-peeves in shikatema writing in here. ie: ino sleeping with shikamaru, nicknames, annoyingly perfect sex, etc.) but for now, I' just going to go away and pretend these don't exist. (Read my new stuff! NOW I TELL YOU.)

okay, goodbye for now then

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